USC announced that Kennedy Urlacher stood out during the first day of fall camp Wednesday, according to 247Sports.
Head coach Lincoln Riley named the sophomore safety as one of three standouts from the opening practice.
The son of Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher knows his last name carries weight. But Kennedy’s focused on building his own identity at USC.
“My dad’s advice to me is just to keep working,” Urlacher said Monday at Trojan football media day. “It’s important to always keep your head down and work hard to accomplish what you want to do.”
Riley named safety Kennedy Urlacher, cornerback Chasen Johnson and linebacker Eric Gentry as standouts from Day 1.
Sounds like the secondary had a good day #USC https://t.co/Q3PhyvC8X4
— Chris Treviño (@ChrisNTrevino) July 30, 2025
Urlacher transferred to USC after spending one season at Notre Dame. He appeared in 14 games for the Fighting Irish and recorded 12 tackles before entering the transfer portal.
The 5-foot-11 safety was rated as a three-star recruit coming out of high school.
USC secondary coach Doug Belk was impressed during Urlacher’s recruitment visit. The coach noted Urlacher’s singular focus on football rather than typical campus attractions.
“He wanted to spend his time on football,” Belk said. “As a coach, that’s the most intriguing thing you can get on a visit. We pretty much spent his whole visit talking ball.”
Belk sees significant potential in the transfer addition.
“He’s got a tremendous skill set,” Belk said. “He’s twitchy, athletic, explosive and really physical. We’re excited about the traits. But as a football player, he’s very intelligent. He loves football.”
The coach drew comparisons to current USC players in describing Urlacher’s personality and playing style.
“He’s a lot like Kamari where he’s very quiet and reserved. But when he plays, he has another switch. He has experience playing as a freshman at Notre Dame, so I’m looking forward to seeing him in training camp, seeing how he fits in the scheme. He’s a football guy, and I think he’s going to be one of those guys like Christian Pierce that plays physical.”
Urlacher’s early recognition during fall camp suggests he could compete for immediate playing time in USC’s secondary rotation this season.
His father Brian played 13 seasons in the NFL and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after his career with the Chicago Bears.
