USC’s Chris Steele
POSITION: Cornerback
HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 190
CLASS: Junior
HOME TOWN: Bellflower, Calif.
HIGH SCHOOL: St. John Bosco H.S. (Fla.)
USC’s Chris Steele returns as one of the best cornerbacks in the Pac-12, if not the nation, after a pandemic-shortened season in which he made 26 tackles, broke up four passes and had an interception in six games.
Steele put up impressive numbers in his freshman season as well, after transferring from Florida and being granted an NCAA waiver to play right away, recording 35 tackles—including one for a loss—as well as breaking up five passes and recovering a fumble.
Having been named to the All-Pac-12 second team by the coaches and Phil Steele last season, the California native has higher hopes for 2021.
Steele recently articulated his goals of being named a First-Team All-American and being drafted in 2022, saying, “I want every panel across the board, across the country to recognize me as one of the top corners in the country this year.”
With Trojan safety Talanoa Hufanga and cornerback Olaijah Griffin gone to the NFL, Steele will be relied upon to fill the turnover void and produce additional picks.
That should bring him the attention he needs to fulfill his goals.
Career Stats
| YEAR | TOT | SOLO | FR | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 35 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 61 | 43 | 1 | 1 |
Honors
—2020—
• All-Pac-12 Second Team
• All-Pac-12 Second Team by Phil Steele
247Sports Composite Recruiting Rankings
Class: 2019
Stars: 4
Rating: 0.9782
National Rank: 42
Position Rank: 5
State Rank: 6