New USC cornerbacks coach Donte Williams arrived in February amid lofty expectations that he could and would have a dramatic impact on the Trojans' recruiting efforts.

While Williams was the lead recruiter for 4-star safety commit Anthony Beavers and 4-star linebacker commit Julien Simon, while also playing a key role in landing a commitment from 4-star safety Calen Bullock, many focused on the Trojans' cornerback recruiting as it remained a paramount priority while other position needs were being checked off one by one.

Then a few weeks ago Williams reeled in a big commitment from local 4-star prospect Jaylin Smith to fill one of the spots at corner/nickel. But Williams' most significant recruiting win yet may be the commitment the Trojans landed Sunday from 4-star top-200 prospect Prophet Brown (Monterey Trail HS/Elk Grove, Calif).

Not only does USC now have its defensive back needs mostly addressed in this 2021 class -- after signing no DBs at all in 2020 -- but Williams won a major recruiting battle in this case as Oklahoma had long been the presumed favorite until the momentum shifted to the Trojans in recent days.

We take a deeper look at what Brown's commitment means for USC, as well as taking a look inside the film room and delivering detailed scouting reports and perspective from Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney and Monterey Trail football coach T.J. Ewing.

RELATED: USC lands major commitment from 4-star top-200 prospect Prophet Brown

While Brown is a versatile athlete who put up huge offensive numbers last fall for Monterey Trail -- averaging 12.2 yards per carry (64 carries for 779 yards and 11 TDs), averaging 20.2 yards per reception (17-343-5) and adding three passing touchdowns, per MaxPreps -- USC recruited him as a cornerback.

That became his position of preference in recent months, and he has proven himself there as well, notching 3 interceptions and 5 pass breakups last season despite not playing the whole season at corner.

That means the Trojans now have five 4-star Rivals250 DBs committed in this 2021 class with Bullock, Beavers and Xamarion Gordon at safety, and Smith and Brown now at cornerback.

USC would like to add one more corner still, but only if it's one of their top targets. That list includes local 4-star standout Ceyair Wright, 4-star Isaiah Johnson (who has reportedly made the move from Bluefield, W.Va., to attend St. Bernard's here locally), 4-star Nathaniel Wiggins from Atlanta (who is looking like a longshot at this point) and a continued push for 4-star Ohio State commit Denzel Burke, from Scottsdale, Ariz.

If the Trojans can't land one of those top remaining targets, they're still well set up with the five DB commits as it stands.

Overall, USC now has 18 public commitments, including 12 Rivals250 prospects, while moving up to No. 3 in the Rivals recruiting rankings (and slipping ahead of Oregon for the top Pac-12 spot).

The wave of commitments has naturally slowed after a busy spring as USC is now holding out for its remaining top targets, many of whom intend to take their time before announcing any decisions, but the Trojans are well on their way to finishing with one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in the country in a remarkable turnaround from a disappointing No. 65 finish last year.

Overall, here's how USC's 2021 recruiting class stands so far with 18 commitments (publicly): 4-star WR Quaydarius Davis (Dallas, Texas/No. 23 overall national prospect), 4-star QB Jake Garcia (La Habra HS/No. 25), 4-star QB Miller Moss (Mater Dei HS/No. 91), 4-star OLB Ma'a Gaoteote (Las Vegas, Nev./No. 93), 4-star ATH/LB Julien Simon (Tacoma, Wash./No. 108), 4-star S Calen Bullock (Muir HS/No. 119), 4-star RB Brandon Campbell (Houston, Texas/No. 173), 4-star ATH/CB Prophet Brown (No. 197), 4-star ATH/CB Jaylin Smith (Bishop Alemany HS/No. 198), 4-star ATH/S Anthony Beavers (Narbonne HS/No. 199) and 4-star S Xamarion Gordon (Warren HS/No. 228), 4-star WR Michael Jackson III (Las Vegas, Nev./No. 234) along with 4-star DT Jay Toia (Grace Brethren HS), 3-star DE Colin Mobley (Baltimore, Md.), 3-star OL Mason Murphy (JSerra HS), Maximus Gibbs (St. John Bosco HS) and Saia Mapakaitolo (Bishop Alemany HS), and 3-star TE Lake McRee (Austin, Texas).

What's your reaction to how Prophet Brown's recruitment unfolded and USC's late surge to secure his commitment?

Gorney: "Yeah, it's definitely surprising and it changed very quickly. It seemed like Oklahoma, maybe Oregon, were the teams that had really emerged as front-runners, if not clear front-runners in his recruitment. I had felt for a while that Oklahoma was going to get him, and then over the last few days it started to kind of really swing in USC's favor and it's a huge commitment for them.

"He's a very, very talented kid, probably even a little bit underrated. He has incredibly good junior film, and his versatility makes him one of the better players in the state in terms of a guy who can play running back, cornerback and be a return specialist seamlessly. So definitely an impressive job by USC to kind of get in there and beat Oklahoma and some others for him and get a guy who can play all over the field and impact the game in a lot of ways."

Initially they wanted him as a running back, he later decides he wants to be recruited as a cornerback. What did you make of that decision and how do you see him projecting at that spot?

Gorney: "It might seem counterintuitive to some, but you usually put your best athletes on defense, so he's a fantastic athlete. I think a lot of guys want to play offense just because it's more glitz and glamour, but long-term a lot of those guys fizzle out and it's the defensive guys, the athletes who really shine in those settings. So I think it's a very smart move by him to move to defense, he's really good at corner, he can make an impact there, he's very instinctive, he's aggressive, he plays with a lot of confidence on both sides of the ball. So I think it's a smart move by him to be recruited as a cornerback, and I think it was definitely a smart move by USC and other schools to recruit him that way.