USC has landed its first transfer of the spring following a commitment announcement from Notre Dame transfer safety Kennedy Urlacher on Saturday morning. The rising sophomore from Chandler, Arizona played in 14 games with the Irish last fall and finished with 12 tackles (7 solo) to go with a tackle for loss and fumble recovery.

Urlacher, who is the son of longtime Chicago Bears and NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, mostly played on special teams during his freshman season but was able to showcase his versatility when used on defense.

He played 65 total snaps and finished the fifth-best coverage grade among the Irish defensive players according to PFF. The 5-foot-11, 197-pound safety lined up at multiple positions throughout his first season including at free safety and nickel.

In addition to those two positions, Urlacher also lined up at strong safety and played 25 snaps in the box.

Urlacher's most productive game came in his collegiate debut against Purdue when he had 3 tackles and a pass breakup for the Irish.

In all, he played on defense in five games as a freshman.

The decision to transfer to USC will bring Urlacher back west after he shined as a playmaker at Chandler High School in Arizona. His talent earned him a four-star rating from Rivals, and he eventually picked Notre Dame over offers from the likes of TCU, Penn State, Miami, Kansas State and Illinois.

In the Nov. 30 game against the Trojans, Urlacher played on special teams and came up with a tackle in that contest.

The clear connection to USC is new general manager Chad Bowden, who arrived in Los Angeles this winter after helping build the team in South Bend that eventually competed for the national title in January.

Since Bowden's arrival, the Trojans have kicked their recruiting efforts into high gear and currently have the top-ranked class for 2026.

The Trojans return their top playmaker at safety, Kamari Ramsey, while NC State transfer Bishop Fitzgerald and junior Christian Pierce round out a top-heavy depth chart that is otherwise light on experience, so Urlacher should have a chance to push for opportunities this year.

Urlacher will have three seasons of remaining eligibility at USC.