USC's Jonathan Lockett: 'I'm just glad to be in this moment right now'
Jonathan Lockett heard the chatter from those close to him, but he says leaving USC was never a real consideration for him.
Even if he'd lost his spot on the depth chart after missing all of 2017 following double hip surgery. Even if there wasn't a clear path to a consistent role for him in his final season with the Trojans.
"I'm a competitor and it's SC. You know, I don't want to leave this place," he said Wednesday after practice. "People were in my ear, 'Transfer. Transfer here. Transfer there.' But I didn't want to do that. I wanted to stay here and just grind it out and just hopefully when my times comes I'll be ready."
Lockett had to start to wonder if his time would ever come this fall, but it has indeed arrived these last two weeks.
With Marvell Tell out against Arizona State and then Talanoa Hufanga lost for the season and needing to be replaced before the trip to Oregon State, redshirt-senior nickel Ajene Harris found himself shuffled to safety as the Trojans looked to plug the ever-growing holes in their secondary.
And so after backing up Harris all season, Lockett took over at nickel as part of that domino effect.
After playing just 24 snaps through the first seven games, according to data kept by Pro Football Focus, Lockett played 57 snaps against Arizona State and 60 against Oregon State. He graded out as one of USC's better defensive players in both games -- 71.2 and 72.9 by PFF, respectively. On their scale, that corresponds to an above-average starter.
"It feels back in like my junior year when I was starting at nickel. It feels good to be back out there, getting a lot of reps and I'm starting to get comfortable game by game," Lockett said. "... I just know that it was tough being on the sideline, from being a starter, but that's how things work out and I'm just glad to be in this moment right now."
Lockett, who started five games at nickel and played in nine overall during the 2016 season before his season-ending hip injury, also finished the game last week at cornerback after starter Iman "Biggie" Marshall was forced out late in the fourth quarter with injury.
Marshall's status is up in the air for USC's game this week with Cal, and thus so is Lockett's role.
The Trojans seem committed to leaving Harris at safety for the rest of the season, so during practice Wednesday, Lockett was at nickel with Isaiah Langley and Olaijah Griffin at the corners when USC went to five defensive backs. When the defense played without a nickel, he replaced Griffin at corner opposite Langley.
"I don't know if Biggie's going to go yet. I'm just [getting] ready for corner and nickel. I've been practicing out here corner and nickel, splitting the reps, so whatever happens I'll be ready," Lockett said.
That underscores Lockett's value in the eyes of the coaching staff -- his ability to step in at either spot as a trusted veteran option -- even if it was maybe tougher for him to appreciate while not playing.
"We've always known that Lock has been a tremendous utility guy that can play nickel or corner at any point in time. And to be able to have that ability is advantageous," head coach Clay Helton said. "He and Ajene have that capability to either fit in at nickel, fit in at corner, fit in at safety. They've learned conceptually rather than just one position, and because of that it's made him a more valuable commodity for our defense. And I'm so proud for him because he's really put two back-to-back games."
Defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast noted that Lockett had a good spring and was one of USC's more productive defensive backs in terms of getting his hands on the ball.
Pendergast also acknowledged, though, that he simply didn't have a role in which to really use Lockett -- until now.
"Ajene was going into his third year as a full-time starter and he was backing up Ajene and I probably wished I had got him in some other games earlier, but nothing had happened to Ajene from an injury standpoint and I like to continue to have continuity in the secondary," Pendergast said. "But Jonathan was always ready to go and so I'm happy for him that he's getting an opportunity now. ... He's been the consummate pro in the DB room and with the whole defense, and it's just nice to see him out there and see him making plays."
Helton likened Lockett's late emergence (or re-emergence) to former USC cornerback Kevon Seymour, who finished his career strong to become a sixth-round draft pick in 2016.
Lockett said he had some conversations with the coaches "here or there" about his situation, but Helton seconded Pendergast's praise that Lockett handled his limited role as well as could be asked.
"He was backing up a really good player in Ajene and playing sparingly, played some special teams and [I] just told him that, 'At some point in time, I've just got a gut feeling that you're going to have to be ready,'" Helton said. "And credit to him. He prepared each and every week, and all of a sudden it's time to shine and he's really shined the last two weeks."
Lockett's career-high for tackles came back in 2015 when he made two starts, played in every game and totaled 18 stops. Not that tackles is necessarily the best stat to evaluate play at his position, but for what it's worth he's up to 11 so far this fall now, and there's no reason to think he won't maintain a regular role the rest of the way -- at one spot or another.
"It's my senior season so I'm happy to be out there for my last couple games, just trying to put [together] as much film as I can," he said. "Hopefully things end out well."
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