Ceyair Wright came into USC last year as the No. 5-ranked cornerback in the entire 2022 recruiting class, but he played just 24 defensive snaps as a true freshman and may have gotten overlooked by some heading into this season with a new coaching staff and several notable newcomers at the position.

With both starting cornerbacks, Chris Steele and Isaac Taylor-Stuart, leaving after last season, the position was wide open for Wright or anyone else to seize a role, but the Trojans had brought in veteran transfer Mekhi Blackmon from Colorado, former four-star prospects Latrell McCutchin (who has since moved to safety and then nickel) from Oklahoma and Jacobe Covington from Washington, along with five-star freshman Domani Jackson.

The newcomers grabbed the spotlight, but when fall camp rolled around it was Wright who had taken hold of one of those starting jobs, receiving praise from coach Lincoln Riley as one of the most improved players on the team from the spring.

He's already logged 200 defensive snaps over the first four games and snagged his first career interception Saturday at Oregon State, taking advantage of an overthrown pass from Chance Nolan as a result of QB pressure from Solomon Byrd.

"Honestly, I was just playing Cover 2, getting back, sinking a little bit, I saw the quarterback, he got pressure, he threw the ball up and I had to go get it," Wright said. "It means the world to me. I've had a long road that a lot of people don't understand. ... Just coming back from all the people who doubted me, thinking that I wasn't going to be able to make an impact on this team. I worked hard to be where I am today."