USC DB commit Sermons reclassifies to '25 class

Four-star USC cornerback pledge R.J. Sermons, ESPN's No. 28 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle, has reclassified into the 2025 cycle and will join the Trojans program this summer, he announced Friday.

Sermons, a 6-foot, 185-pound defensive back from Rancho Cucamonga, California, was previously ranked as ESPN's No. 2 cornerback prospect in the 2026 class, trailing only five-star 2026 USC commit Elbert Hill. Per ESPN sources, Sermons intends to enroll at USC in July, stepping into a rebuilt Trojans secondary that lost five starters from a year ago.

Sermons, whose father, Rodney Sermons, rushed for 888 yards and eight touchdowns at USC from 1994 to 1997, committed to the Trojans on Dec. 13, over finalists Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame and Oregon.

His early arrival delivers a late-spring boost to the Trojans' 2025 signing class, which closed at No. 14 in ESPN's class rankings for the cycle following national signing day in February. Sermons joins ESPN 300 defensive back Kendarius Reddick (No. 179 overall) and Trestin Castro (No. 269) among the top defensive prospects in USC's freshman class, as well as five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart, who reclassified from the 2026 cycle last fall.

Sermons recorded 46 tackles with an interception and five pass breakups in his sophomore season at Rancho Cucamonga High School in 2023 before an injury limited him to six games as a junior last fall. One of California's top high school sprinters, Sermons placed first in the Division I 100- and 200-meter events at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championships last month.

Even with Sermons' reclassification, the Trojans' 2026 class continues to stand among the deepest in the nation, with 26 overall pledges this cycle as of May 23, including 12 from within the ESPN 300. Alongside Hill, ESPN's No. 15 overall prospect, USC also holds a commitment from four-star, in-state cornerback Brandon Lockhart (No. 79 overall).