LOS ANGELES — During Bishop Fitzgerald’s visit to USC last week, defensive backs coach Doug Belk sat him down and compared clips of his to fellow safety Kamari Ramsey. One thing quickly became apparent: there were a lot of plays where Ramsey and Fitzgerald, a North Carolina State transfer, were doing the same thing.
The similarities, though, went further, as Fitzgerald observed. Both were comfortable breaking from a third level to make plays on the ball. Both stood exactly 6-foot. Both wore jersey No. 7, even.
“We kinda looked like we were the same player,” Fitzgerald told the Southern California News Group, on Wednesday.
And thus, after USC seemed set to lose its star safety to the NFL, the Trojans will enter spring practice with not one but two Kamari Ramseys. Sort of. Ramsey, himself, is back, a stalwart general who made the choice to forgo a rough mid-round draft projection to boost his stock with another year at USC. He’ll be flanked by Fitzgerald, a literal last-hour transfer portal entry who stood out for NC State in 2024: 55 tackles, eight pass deflections, three interceptions.
In the Wolfpack’s 2024 scheme, as Fitzgerald described, he was often relegated to three-high-safety duties or man-to-man coverage. He wasn’t doing as much as he thought he could, he said. He went into the portal looking for more NFL-ready principles, looking to put more versatility on tape; he will likely now fill a starting secondary spot for USC next to a safety who is already quite literally NFL-ready.
“I think just having two guys who could really do it all, and just pushing each other every day to be the best, is just going to make both of our games better,” Fitzgerald said, of Ramsey. “Just being able to trust each other out there, and play off of each other’s energy.”
As the first transfer portal window has wrapped – although exceptions are always possible – here’s a full breakdown of the movement in USC’s secondary entering spring, the last in a six-part series examining the post-portal scholarship outlook for every part of the roster.
Cornerback
Returning: Prophet Brown, Jr.; Braylon Conley, Fr.; Marcelles Williams, Fr.; Maliki Crawford, Fr.; Isaiah Rubin, Fr.
Arriving: Trestin Castro (Upland); James Johnson (Ga.); DJ Harvey (portal, San Jose State)
Departing: Jaylin Smith, Sr. (NFL Draft); Jacobe Covington, Sr. (NFL Draft); John Humphrey, Sr. (NFL Draft); Greedy Vance Jr., Sr. (NFL Draft)
Unknown: DeCarlos Nicholson, Sr. (JUCO eligibility – might have an extra year)
Safety/nickel
Returning: Kamari Ramsey, Soph.; Anthony Beavers Jr., Jr.; Christian Pierce, Soph.; Jarvis Boatwright Jr., Fr.; Marquis Gallegos, Fr.
Arriving: Alex Graham (Mich.); Kendarius Reddick (Ga.); Steve Miller (Ga.); Bishop Fitzgerald (portal, NC State)
Departing: Akili Arnold, Sr. (eligibility); Zion Branch, Soph. (portal, Georgia); Bryson Shaw, Sr. (NFL Draft)
Top questions
Will Nicholson be back for another year of eligibility? In early December, the NCAA granted a blanket waiver decreeing that former junior college athletes – who would have used their last season of eligibility in 2024-25 – would have an extra season and remain eligible in 2025-26. Theoretically, that means Nicholson could return to USC, a former JUCO product who recorded 27 tackles and five pass deflections in 2024. USC’s cornerback room is thin on proven depth beyond transfer Harvey; Nicholson’s return would greatly help ease the blow of four senior cornerback departures.
Are the kids ready? St. John Bosco product Williams was a standout in spring practice and fall training camp as a true freshman, but he saw just 16 total snaps buried behind a legion of upperclassmen. Harvey was USC’s only transfer portal addition at cornerback in the winter, leaving a starting spot up for grabs; Williams, Conley and Rubin will likely all have ample chances in the spring to vie for increased snaps in 2025.