← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
USC's best defenders since 2024
Desman Stephens II leads with 130 tackles in 27 games at USC; Easton Mascarenas-Arnold had 94.
Every defender with 5 or more games at USC since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
77 defenders with 5+ games at USCtackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Desman Stephens II | 2024–2026 | 27 | 130 | 0.5 | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | Easton Mascarenas-Arnold | 2024 | 13 | 94 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 3 | Kamari Ramsey | 2024–2025 | 20 | 87 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
| 4 | Kameryn Crawford | 2024–2026 | 27 | 80 | 9 | 20 | 0 |
| 5 | DeCarlos Nicholson | 2024–2025 | 24 | 69 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Akili Arnold | 2024 | 12 | 59 | 0.5 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Devan Thompkins | 2024–2025 | 22 | 55 | 4.5 | 11 | 0 |
| 8 | Bishop Fitzgerald | 2025 | 10 | 51 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | Jide Abasiri | 2024–2026 | 22 | 50 | 4.5 | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Kennedy Urlacher | 2025–2026 | 15 | 48 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 11 | Marcelles Williams | 2024–2026 | 17 | 47 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Jadyn Walker | 2025–2026 | 15 | 44 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | Deven Bryant | 2026 | 7 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Gavin Meyer | 2024 | 12 | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | Alex Graham | 2025–2026 | 7 | 30 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| 16 | Greedy Vance | 2024 | 10 | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | Luke Wafle | 2026 | 7 | 27 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 18 | Jahkeem Stewart | 2025–2026 | 14 | 23 | 1.5 | 10 | 1 |
| 19 | Ta'Mere Robinson | 2025–2026 | 11 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | John Humphrey | 2024 | 10 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Kobe Pepe | 2024–2025 | 12 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Nate Clifton | 2024 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | Keeshawn Silver | 2025 | 12 | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 24 | Floyd Boucard | 2025–2026 | 10 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | Braylon Conley | 2024–2025 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 26 | Sam Greene | 2024 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 27 | Jontez Williams | 2026 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Elijah Newby | 2024–2026 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 29 | Solomon Tuliaupupu | 2024 | 7 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | Alex VanSumeren | 2026 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 31 | Chasen Johnson | 2025–2026 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Garrison Madden | 2024–2025 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Isaiah Rubin | 2025–2026 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Zuriah Fisher | 2026 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | Jadyn Ramos | 2025–2026 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 36 | RJ Sermons | 2026 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DJ Harvey | 2025 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Roman Marchetti | 2024–2025 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Jamaal Jarrett | 2025–2026 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 40 | Adoree' Jackson | 2014–2016 | 39 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 41 | Braylan Shelby | 2023–2026 | 33 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 42 | Christian Pierce | 2023–2026 | 27 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 43 | Eric Gentry | 2022–2025 | 22 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 44 | Anthony Lucas | 2023–2025 | 20 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 45 | Mason Cobb | 2023–2024 | 20 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 46 | Ajene Harris | 2014–2018 | 19 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 47 | Jamil Muhammad | 2023–2024 | 18 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 48 | Jaylin Smith | 2021–2024 | 17 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 49 | Prophet Brown | 2023–2026 | 17 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 50 | Bryson Shaw | 2022–2024 | 16 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 51 | Calen Bullock | 2021–2023 | 15 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 52 | Jacobe Covington | 2022–2024 | 12 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 53 | Su'a Cravens | 2013–2015 | 11 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 54 | Zion Branch | 2023–2024 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Jack Jones | 2016–2017 | 10 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 56 | Solomon Byrd | 2022–2023 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 57 | Anthony Beavers Jr. | 2023–2025 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 58 | Bear Alexander | 2023–2024 | 9 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 59 | Raesjon Davis | 2023–2024 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 60 | Shane Lee | 2022–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 61 | Tackett Curtis | 2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 62 | Chris Roland-Wallace | 2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 63 | Isaiah Pola-Mao | 2019–2020 | 7 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 64 | Josh Shaw | 2012–2013 | 7 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 65 | Kevon Seymour | 2013–2015 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 66 | Kyon Barrs | 2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 67 | Max Williams | 2022–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 68 | Romello Height | 2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 69 | Cameron Smith | 2015–2017 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 70 | Domani Jackson | 2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 71 | Leon McQuay | 2013–2016 | 6 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 72 | Marvell Tell III | 2016–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 73 | Stanley Ta'ufo'ou | 2022–2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 74 | De'Jon Benton | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | Greg Johnson | 2018–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 76 | Iman Marshall | 2015–2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 77 | Tyrone Taleni | 2023 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
Also at USC: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.