Desman Stephens II
Desman Stephens II
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. This is his second year in the same linebacker corps at USC. The receipt: 17 tackles, 1 TFL against Oregon — Week 13, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career Arc
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 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2025
W 26–21
vs Iowa
2 SOLO · 7 TOT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
USC
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · 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
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jackson Sirmon’s 2021 season.
Matches Jackson on
Differs from Jackson on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Brian Asamoah's sophomore season at Oklahoma (2021).
Matches Brian on
Differs from Brian on
Background
CAREER: Throughout his two-year career, he has recorded 102 tackles, including 4 for loss of 7 yards, with 2 forced fumbles, 2 QB hurries and 1 INT while appearing in 26 games with 13 starts. 2026: Stephens II returns as an experienced linebacker as a junior in 2026. 2025: Stephens II recorded 89...