Early-enrolling freshman, Antwine Perez, is as tough as they come.

Perez has long been mature for his age. He was forced to grow up quickly when, at 9 years old, his 23-year-old brother, Louis, was shot dead after falling in with the wrong crowd.

With the departure of Darnell Bing and Scott Ware, and the inexperience of Kevin Ellison and Will Harris, the New Jersey-native has a good chance to start at safety for the Trojans this season.

Without a safety net [San Bernadino Sun]