USC football adds to their haul in the transfer portal with LB from Big Ten rival

The USC Trojans have secured the commitment of former Washington linebacker Deven Bryant through the transfer portal. The St. John Bosco prep standout and 10-game starter will join USC with two years of eligibility remaining.

Bryant s a box defender that should hold down things in the middle. He had 62 tackles last season and two pass deflections. He is the second player to commit to the Trojans on Sunday, joining top cornerback Jontez Williams.

Bryant is another commit who meets a key need for the Trojans, stepping in as an inside linebacker and bringing steady play to the linebacker rotation for the defense in 2026. For Bryant, USC appeared to be his No. 1 choice out of the portsal as he had no other visits lined up. This commitment will probably be one of the less dramatic of the portal season for USC.

Bryant, a three-star prospect from St. John Bosco, has kept that rating in the transfer portal. He broke out in Seattle last season, starting ten games for the Huskies and racking up 63 tackles. His PFF run defense grade of 73.8 would have ranked first among all USC defenders in 2025.

The Trojans are eager to build a championship-caliber defense that matches their unique offensive style while being versatile enough to handle any offense the Big Ten throws at them. They’re still without a defensive coordinator, but it seems an announcement could be coming soon, as these commits likely wouldn’t be on board without some idea of who will be calling plays in 2026.

Bryant's commitment puts USC at two-for-two on visitors this weekend, and there's optimism the Trojans can land even more. The big prize, Cam Coleman, is still out there, but USC is clearly making deliberate moves to secure impactful starters and rotation players on defense, which will do wonders for their depth next season.

Nicholas Burmood is a contributor for Reign of Troy, and you can follow him on X at @NBurmoodRoT for more USC content.