DeCarlos Nicholson
DeCarlos Nicholson
Jams receivers off their route at the line. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Mike Leach, Greg Knox and Lincoln Riley. The receipt: 6 tackles against Iowa — Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Lincoln Riley.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Lincoln Riley
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR05 · Part-time starter
Part-time starter. Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | USC | 42 | 30 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 4 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | USC | 27 | 18 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Mississippi State | 42 | 17 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Mississippi State | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 116 | 66 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 12 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2025
W 26–21
vs Iowa
3 SOLO · 6 TOT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
How he plays
Play style
Long and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
USC
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Cornerback · USC
Returning around him
- 3 USC players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -13 net (9 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
USC · Last season: 9-4 (AP #16) · Talent rank #17 · 2026 recruiting class #1
DNA match
Player DNA
Press Corner
Long and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tyreque Jones’s 2022 season.
Matches Tyreque on
Differs from Tyreque on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Cameron Broussard's senior season at Washington (2024).
Matches Cameron on