B1G Impact: New USC Trojans Safety Kamari Ramsey

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Because the USC Trojans' defense was abysmal in 2022 and 2023, coach Lincoln Riley took drastic action to address the shortcoming in the offseason. Not only did he revamp his defensive coaching staff, but he also brought in numerous new defenders via the Transfer Portal. One of the key new players is standout safety Kamari Ramsey.

Kamari Ramsey

A highly-coveted safety in the 2022 recruiting cycle, Ramsey was a consensus four-star prospect. ESPN touted him as the No. 10 safety in the nation, and Rivals rated him as the No. 12 overall prospect in California. He committed to UCLA and redshirted in 2022. As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Ramsey started 11 games for the Bruins and recorded 40 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups and 1 interception.

Ramsey played under defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn at UCLA, and when Lynn accepted Riley's offer to head the Trojans' defense, Ramsey followed Lynn across town. Lynn led UCLA's defense to a No. 14 national ranking last year. Ramsey, a key part of the Bruins' defensive success last year, has three remaining years of collegiate eligibility.

The high regard in which Ramsey is held was demonstrated when he was recently named to the prestigious 2024 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List. The only major college football award based in part on character, the Lott IMPACT Trophy is named after NFL Hall of Fame star and former USC great Ronnie Lott. The award is annually presented to the defensive player who has had the biggest impact on his team both on and off the field. The IMPACT acronym stands for integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity.

USC Trojans Defense

As noted above, Riley took radical action to fix USC's defense. In addition to poaching Lynn from USC's cross-town rival, Riley brought in Eric Henderson as the Trojans' defensive line coach. Henderson is a major asset, as he was the defensive line coach of the Super Bowl LVI-winning Los Angeles Rams team. Henderson has a terrific relationship with Aaron Donald, who has participated in recent USC recruiting events. Riley also brought in highly respected coaches Matt Entz and Doug Belk. Entz led the North Dakota State Bison to two FCS national championships and will spearhead the Trojans' linebacker room. Belk is a rising star who will head up the Trojans' secondary after serving as defensive coordinator for the Houston Cougars.

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Along with the new defensive brain trust, USC has a bevy of talented new players on defense in addition to Ramsey. Joining Ramsey and Bear Alexander, who anchors the defensive line, are strong safety Akili Arnold, cornerback John Humphrey, linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and defensive tackle Nate Clifton. Like Ramsey, Humphrey transferred from UCLA. Brothers Arnold and Mascarenas-Arnold transferred from Oregon State. Clifton is a graduate transfer from Vanderbilt.

The Trojans' new-look 2024 defense might have a significant impact on the Big Ten Conference.