Jonathan Lockett was USC’s starting nickel back in 2016. His college career was going exactly as he would have thought as a highly touted recruit out of Santa Ana Mater Dei High until a hip injury in the eighth game of the season set his plans on hold.
Ajene Harris stepped in for him and showed promise. Then Lockett had hip surgery after the season, which kept him out of the entire 2017 campaign, forcing him to redshirt. When Lockett came back healthy for spring practice in 2018, Harris was established in his old role, and the Trojans at that point still had Jack Jones penciled in at the cornerback spot opposite Iman Marshall.