Greg Johnson and Velus Jones Jr. latest to seek transfer from USC football

Alicia de Artola

Alicia de Artola/Reign of Troy

Redshirt sophomore cornerback Greg Johnson and junior receiver Velus Jones Jr. are reportedly seeking to transfer from USC football.

If you thought the rash of transfer out of USC football this offseason were finished, check again.

Two more Trojans have apparently stated their intentions to leave the program with cornerback Greg Johnson and wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. becoming the latest to enter the transfer portal.

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The news of Jones Jr.’s transfer was first reported by Matt Zenitz of Al.com. Ryan Abraham of USCFootball.com confirmed the Jones Jr. news while also reporting Johnson’s decision.

Johnson and Jones Jr. are just the latest Trojans to put their names in the portal. They join Bru McCoy, Josh Imatorbhebhe, Trevon Sidney, Randal Grimes, Bubba Bolden, Oluwole Betiku, Je’Quari Godfrey and Ykili Ross as players to opt for a transfer since August.

The transfers couldn’t come at positions with more dire depth either.

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Johnson was unlikely to participate in Spring Camp because of season-ending shoulder surgery last fall, but he was one of just five returning cornerbacks on the roster.

Jones Jr. puts the wide receiver position in a similar bind. With four other receivers departing the program, USC has just five receivers on the roster going into Spring Camp.

Both were expected to compete for starting jobs in 2019, so their decision to leave is particularly concerning as the Trojans look to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 record in 2018.

Johnson started four games as a redshirt freshman, but he lost his starting job to Isaiah Langley in Week 5 and fell out of favor completely soon after. Even before his shoulder injury, playing time was sparse. He finished the year with 15 tackles, one tackle for loss and three pass breakups.

Jones Jr. had more of a role to play in 2018, catching 24 passes for 266 yards and one touchdown. However, his starting job in the slot was threatened by Amon-Ra St. Brown, who finished second on the team in yards and first in receptions.

If both follow through on their decision to leave, USC could use their scholarships to dip into the transfer market themselves, but likely not in time to help with depth this Spring Camp, which begins on Tuesday.

Alicia de Artola

Alicia de Artola is an associate editor for FanSided.com and co-host of the Reign of Troy Radio podcast. She's been an avid Trojan fan since Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart thrilled at the Coliseum, eventually attending USC to study Journalism and Classics. After years of message board activity, she started writing about the Trojans for ReignOfTroy.com in 2012. Since then she has covered practices, taken photos on the sidelines, interviewed Trojan legends and podcasted for a decade about all things USC. Now she covers all sports from college football to the NFL, MLB, NBA, soccer and Formula 1 for FanSided.com.