New faces making an impact for USC football this spring
LOS ANGELES — Just two weeks into the USC football team’s spring practices, the combination of veteran transfers and highly-touted freshmen have started to form a motivated and cohesive defensive unit.
Earlier this week when asked who has been impressive so far this spring, Coach Lincoln Riley first mentioned Floyd Boucard, a freshman defensive tackle from South Florida.
He also brought up Trestin Castro, Alex Graham, James Johnson and Steve Miller, all freshman defensive backs who have performed well in the early days of practice.
And according to a couple of the seniors in the secondary, the young defensive backs haven’t been shy about it.
“The young guys, they’re not scared to talk. They’re super vocal and super personable and very, like, high personalities,” Bishop Fitzgerald said Thursday after practice. “They’ve been great to be around and, kind of learning from them too, their mistakes. And me and DJ (Harvey) being transfers, we’re all kind of in the same boat here, honestly.”
“Everybody likes to talk and bark, including myself, but that’s just a part of playing DB,” DJ Harvey said. “We play the hardest position on the field, so you gotta have confidence when you’re out there.”
Both Fitzgerald and Harvey transferred to USC in the spring and are expected to make an immediate impact.
Fitzgerald played at North Carolina State the past two seasons and totaled 97 tackles, 16 pass breakups, five interceptions and a forced fumble in 26 games for the Wolfpack.
Riley said the 5-foot-11 safety has been a stable presence so far, as if he’s been with the program for years.
“Bishop’s just steady. … He communicates so well. Another guy that you definitely feel kind of his veteran presence on kind of like calming the group,” Riley said. “He can go in there and operate right now, like he’s been here for a while, which is hard to do.”
Harvey joins USC after two previous stops – Virginia Tech, where he played his freshman and sophomore seasons, followed by San Jose State the past two years.
The Palmdale native exploded onto the scene in 2024, tallying 58 tackles, including seven for loss, two sacks and four interceptions. He also returned one of the interceptions for a touchdown.
“He brings a lot of energy and juice to the field. He’s a really competitive guy,” Riley said about Harvey. “You kind of feel his presence and energy every day. He’s really, really focused on his craft. His energy, his competitiveness, that fire, you feel the impact.”
Harvey’s arrival at USC reunites him with safety Kamari Ramsey, his former teammate at Sierra Canyon High.
The relationship between the two student-athletes goes all the way back to before they were born – Harvey’s mother and Ramsey’s dad went to high school together.
“That’s my godbrother, man,” Harvey said. “Love him to death. Just glad to see me and him back on the field again. That’s all that really matters to it. Everything that we’ve gone through in life, I’m just glad to be here.”
Despite being the new guys in town, Fitzgerald and Harvey are not new to playing in big games. They’re veterans who have faced high-pressure situations over their long athletic careers. They are determined to make their presence felt this spring and as the year progresses into summer camp and into the fall.
And along the way they want to help the younger guys on the team get better, regardless of how vociferous they might be at practice.
“A lot of the younger guys, they want it. They’re hungry to come in and play and come in and learn,” Fitzgerald said. “And I think that’s the most important thing, just coming in, willing to learn, knowing you might not play your first year and willing to take advice from the older guys.”