It’s the season of comings and goings
The winter transfer portal window has given the USC and UCLA football rosters a makeover. ¶ Here’s a look at the players coming and going from USC and UCLA listed in most recent order of their announcements, with the caveat that players listed as entering the portal can potentially stay at their current schools if they do not find another landing spot and the spring transfer portal window is open from April 16-30. Who’s coming to USC? Jaden Richardson
Wide receiver
Size: 6-2, 210
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: A Division III transfer from Tufts, Richardson caught 13 touchdown passes in 2023 and was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference cooffensive player of the year. His 20 career touchdowns — accomplished in two nine-game seasons — are a school record.
Kamari Ramsey
Safety
Size: 6-1, 205
Year in 2024: Redshirt sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three Buzz: The promising young safety will follow former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to USC after starting 11 games for the Bruins in 2023.
John Humphrey
Cornerback
Size: 6-2, 205
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Humphrey, another crosstown defection following Lynn, is USC’s fourth Pac-12 cornerback transfer under Lincoln Riley, joining Mekhi Blackmon (Colorado), Jacobe Covington (Washington) and Christian Roland-Wallace (Arizona).
Jo’Quavious Marks
Running back
Size: 5-10, 210
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Along with being a mainstay in the Mississippi State backfield for four years, rushing for 1,883 yards and 22 touchdowns, Marks is the program leader in receptions with 214 career catches and has the most receiving yards by a running back (1,225) in program history.
DeCarlos Nicholson
Defensive back
Size: 6-3, 195
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: A former junior college transfer, Nicholson played two seasons at Mississippi State, including seven starts last season.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
Linebacker
Size: 5-11, 228
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: The Mission Viejo native led Oregon State with 107 tackles, 6½ tackles for a loss and two interceptions in 2023, his first as a full-time starter.
Akili Arnold
Defensive back
Size: 5-11, 200
Class in 2024: Grad transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Arnold, a safety who had 60 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups for Oregon State last season, will be a sixth-year player for the Trojans.
Hank Pepper
Long snapper
Size: 6-2, 210
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: Pepper’s midseason departure saved him a year of eligibility after starting as a freshman in all 13 of Michigan State’s games and playing five games as a sophomore before getting injured.
Nate Clifton
Defensive end
Size: 6-5, 280
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: A three-star prospect in high school, Clifton was one of the more coveted defensive lineman in the portal because of the step forward he took last season. Clifton had 5½ sacks as a senior at Vanderbilt after tallying only two in two previous seasons.
Who’s leaving USC? Dorian Singer
Wide receiver
Size: 6-0, 180
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: The former All-Pac-12 receiver at Arizona failed to carve out a big role with the Trojans. Singer had 1,105 yards and 66 catches for the Wildcats in 2022 and transferred to USC with much fanfare. But he caught only 24 passes for 289 yards and three touchdowns for the Trojans.
Korey Foreman
Defensive end
Size: 6-4, 235
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Foreman was the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2021 class — and one of the highest-rated Trojans prospects ever — when he signed with USC in December 2021. But one defensive line coach after another struggled to get the best out of Foreman.
Tackett Curtis
Linebacker
Size: 6-2, 225
Class in 2024: Sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: Curtis, who turned 20 in October, finished with 40 tackles, two sacks and one fumble recovery.
Domani Jackson
Cornerback
Size: 6-1, 190
Class in 2024: Junior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: Jackson never fully lived up to his five-star billing at USC after working back from a knee injury he suffered during his senior season at Santa Ana Mater Dei High. Jackson started 11 games as a sophomore with 33 tackles.
Malachi Nelson
Quarterback
Size: 6-3, 190
Class in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Four
Buzz: USC’s quarterback of the future will leave after attempting only three passes in one appearance. The former Los Alamitos High star and No. 1 recruit in the country was loyal to Lincoln Riley when the coach changed jobs, flipping his Oklahoma commitment to USC to give the Trojans an heir apparent to Caleb Williams. But Nelson, who Riley said struggled with injuries this season, couldn’t wrestle the backup position from Miller Moss.
Michael Tarquin
Offensive lineman
Size: 6-5, 300
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: The Florida transfer grabbed the starting right tackle position but lost the role midway through the season after the Trojans gave up six sacks against Notre Dame.
Mario Williams
Wide receiver
Size: 5-9, 175
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: The receiver’s role shrunk significantly in his second season with the Trojans as he caught 29 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns compared to 40 catches, 631 yards and five touchdowns the year before.
Andrew Milek
Offensive lineman
Size: 6-5, 315
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Milek is the latest player from USC’s subpar 2020 recruiting class to leave the Trojans. He was one of six linemen in the class and appeared in more games than many of them. But he never found a regular role.
Fabian Ross
Cornerback
Size: 6-0, 200
Class in 2024: Redshirt sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: Ross was a four-star cornerback in the 2022 class but never earned a regular place in USC’s rotation, even after its depth at corner grew dire this season.
Michael Jackson III
Wide receiver
Size: 6-0 200
Class in 2024: Senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Jackson got off to a slow start this season because of injuries but finished with 146 yards, one touchdown and 17 catches.
De’jon Benton
Defensive lineman
Size: 6-1, 270
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: He had 12 tackles in 2023, including a career-best five tackles for loss and 1½ sacks, but didn’t play in the final two games against Oregon and UCLA.
Chris Thompson Jr.
Linebacker
Size: 6-2, 230
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: He moved from safety to linebacker and played only sparingly from there, even as USC struggled with depth at inside linebacker.
Jude Wolfe
Tight end
Size: 6-5, 240
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Slowed by back and foot injuries during his five-year career, the Bellflower St. John Bosco High tight end had two catches for five yards and a touchdown in 2023 playing behind redshirt sophomore Lake McRee.
Raleek Brown
Running back/wide receiver
Size: 5-8, 185
Class in 2024: Redshirt sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: The former Mater Dei star provided flashes of brilliance as a freshman but fell out of the rotation during his second year after a position switch from running back to receiver.
Darwin Barlow
Running back
Size: 6-0, 220
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: The former Texas Christian transfer will look for his third college home after three seasons at USC. Barlow has been buried behind other transfer running backs both years with the Trojans, backing up Travis Dye and Austin Jones in 2022 and then playing behind MarShawn Lloyd and Jones in 2023.
Xamarion Gordon
Safety
Size: 6-1, 210
Class in 2024: Redshirt junior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: Gordon, a former four-star prospect, never really got it going at USC after being brought in by the previous staff. He didn’t factor in on the field this season.
Jamar Sekona
Defensive tackle
Size: 6-2, 295
Class in 2024: Redshirt junior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: He played only a bit part on USC’s defense, with one sack across two seasons.
Who’s coming to UCLA? Jacob Busic
Edge rusher
Size: 6-4, 256
Year in 2024: Redshirt senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: This is a move that will allow the former Navy standout to reunite with UCLA tight ends coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was Busic’s coach in Annapolis, Md. A former honorable mention All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2022, Busic was limited to four games in 2023 because of a torn biceps muscle.
Collins Acheampong
Edge rusher
Size: 6-8, 270
Year in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Four
Buzz: Ranked as a four-star high school prospect, Acheampong did not play in his one season at Miami.
Mateen Bhaghani
Kicker
Size: 6-1, 175
Year in 2024: Sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: In his only season at California, Bhaghani (pronounced BUH-gone-ee) made eight of nine field-goal attempts, with a long of 43 yards, in addition to all 29 pointafter attempts.
Rico Flores Jr.
Wide receiver
Size: 6-2, 205
Year in 2024: Sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: He finished second on Notre Dame with 27 catches for 392 yards and one touchdown. Flores is rated as a four-star prospect in the 247Sports transfer rankings and should immediately challenge for a prominent role.
Bryan Addison
Safety
Size: 6-5, 198
Year in 2024: Senior
Seasons of remaining eligibility: One
Buzz: He was a critical component of Oregon’s defense, making 30 tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups and a forced fumble in 2022. This season, he started the first four games before leaving the team for what Ducks coach Dan Lanning described as “personal reasons.”
Who’s leaving UCLA? RJ Lopez
Kicker
Size: 5-11, 190
Year in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Lopez made six of 11 fieldgoal tries before losing his job to Blake Glessner, who struggled.
Beau Gardner
Long snapper
Size: 6-4, 245
Year in 2024: Redshirt senior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two Buzz: Having appeared in every game last season as the snapper for kicks and punts, Gardner is moving up in the football world by taking his talents to Georgia.
Jeremiah McClure
Wide receiver
Size: 6-2, 200
Year in 2024: Redshirt freshman
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Four
Buzz: McClure appeared in only two games in his first college season, making no catches.
John Humphrey
Cornerback
Size: 6-2, 205
Year in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: After developing into a reliable cornerback who made two interceptions and solidified the back end of the defense, Humphrey became the second starter in the secondary to depart via the transfer portal.
William Nimmo Jr.
Safety
Size: 6-1, 200
Year in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: He’s coming off his best season, having logged career highs in tackles (21) and tackles for loss (two) while appearing in all 12 games and starting against Arizona State.
Jake Wiley
Guard
Size: 6-6, 310
Class in 2024: Graduate transfer
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Unable to beat out fellow transfer Spencer Holstege or former Bruins reserve Josh Carlin for a starting spot, Wiley played off the bench for the entire season as part of an offensive line that struggled to protect the quarterback.
Dante Moore
Quarterback
Size: 6-3, 210
Class in 2024: Sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: Moore went from wunderkind to maligned during his one season as a Bruin, the former five-star high school prospect failing to live up to the massive hype. After throwing for seven touchdowns and only one interception through his first three games, Moore tallied eight interceptions and four touchdown passes the rest of the season.
Keegan Jones
Wide receiver/running back
Size: 5-10, 185
Class in 2024: Graduate student
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: This departure really hurts the Bruins because Jones was one of the team’s most dynamic players, but he was rarely targeted and made only eight catches for 77 yards this past season.
Kam Brown
Wide receiver
Size: 6-1, 190
Class in 2024: Graduate student
Seasons of eligibility remaining: One
Buzz: Even though he made eight starts, Brown’s role decreased in 2023 upon the arrival of several transfers and the emergence of Logan Loya as the team’s go-to receiver.
Carsen Ryan
Tight end
Size: 6-4, 255
Class in 2024: Junior
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Two
Buzz: An increasingly valuable part of the offense, Ryan made 13 catches for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
Kamari Ramsey
Safety
Size: 6-1, 205
Year in 2024: Redshirt sophomore
Seasons of eligibility remaining: Three
Buzz: The most promising young player on UCLA’s defense, Ramsey started all 11 games in which he played and made 40 tackles, including 2½ for loss.