The timing is a little surprising with USC having already started winter workouts, but the news broke Sunday that veteran cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson was entering the transfer portal.

A day later, On3.com's Pete Nakos and 247Sports' Matt Zenitz, who first reported the news Sunday while Nicholson engaged with social media posts from USC fans wishing him well, report that the cornerback is withdrawing from the portal after all.

Nicholson has spent one season at USC after transferring in from Mississippi State, playing 263 defensive snaps in a mostly reserve role with 27 tackles and 5 pass breakups. That would have been his final season of eligibility if not for the NCAA waiver given to all former JUCO athletes in December, providing an extra year of eligibility in 2025.

Trojans coach Lincoln Riley was asked then about whether Nicholson would be returning, and he expressed optimism he would be back with the program.

What transpired in the last day is unclear.

Either way, USC now retains some much-needed experience at cornerback, where redshirt senior Prophet Brown (who played 161 defensive snaps between cornerback and nickel) is the only other returning player with any significant playing time.

The Trojans, who lost starting cornerbacks Jaylin Smith and Jacobe Covington, starting nickel Greedy Vance Jr. and reserve corner John Humphrey all to exhausted eligibility, did bring in productive San Jose State cornerback transfer DJ Harvey.

Beyond Harvey, Brown and presumably now Nicholson, USC has a young foundation of talent at the position redshirt freshmen Marcelles Williams and Braylon Conley leading that pack, with redshirt sophomore Maliki Crawford, redshirt freshman Isaiah Rubin and incoming freshmen Treston Castro, Alex Graham and James Johnson also in the mix at corner/nickel.

Williams in particular was a standout last spring in his first work with the Trojans, but it never materialized into playing time in the fall and then an unspecified injury sidelined him later in the season.

The rest is a wildcard -- a talented group for sure but one hard to project at this time -- so retaining Nicholson is significant.