There has been a lot of discussion surrounding collegiate eligibility lately, and the USC Trojans could benefit directly from the latest ruling.
After both Emmanuel Pregnon and Kamari Ramsey announced that they would be returning to the Trojans in 2025, it’s looking like the team will be getting another boost.
USC Trojans Secondary Could See DeCarlos Nicholson Return
Without diving into all of the legal jargon, essentially, college athletes whose final year of eligibility came in 2024, but who spent time playing at the Junior College level prior, have been granted an extra year of eligibility.
This whole situation was spearheaded by Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia but is now trickling down to athletes all over the country, including USC cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson.
Nicholson transferred to USC last offseason after starting his college career at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and then moving on to Mississippi State.
When this season concluded, Nicholson was out of eligibility and planned on trying to make it to the NFL, but now, it looks like he will have the opportunity to return to USC and enhance his draft potential by continuing to develop.
This is a huge development, not only for Nicholson but also for the USC Trojans.
When the season concluded, there was a chance that every single starter in the secondary would be gone from the team, and now with Ramsey already returning, they can return the skillset of the 6’3″ corner from Mississippi.
Last season, Nicholson finished with 23 total tackles and improved steadily as the season went on. Another year with D’Anton Lynn and Doug Belk should do wonders for his future prospects.