USC football breakdown: How the Trojans look on the offensive line
LOS ANGELES — The midseason fix was temporary, because there were plenty of options, sure, for Josh Henson to try to patchwork a sinking USC offensive line. But no real solutions.
After allowing 13 pressures that had Caleb Williams looking visibly rattled in a mid-October matchup with Notre Dame – such a horrific showing that Henson joked the next week that he expected reporters’ questions would be tougher – some sort of shakeup on USC’s front was clearly needed. So Henson benched struggling Florida transfer Michael Tarquin at right tackle, swapping Washington State transfer Jarrett Kingston there and inserting backup Mason Murphy into Kingston’s place at right guard. And for one not-so-glorious eventual loss against Utah, it paid visible dividends, as USC allowed just four pressures against a solid Utes front.
“I thought it worked well – you look at the results, and it kinda showed,” Henson said after the Utah game.
But this was just a temporary fix, yes, because USC’s preseason approach to the offensive line was in itself a temporary fix. They brought in a couple of promising recruits in the ’23 class, but they turned largely to the transfer portal to sew up holes: Tarquin, Kingston, Emmanuel Pregnon from Wyoming. Pregnon was solid but unspectacular, while Kingston and Tarquin struggled throughout stretches in 2023, and within weeks Williams was sent running for his life again as Murphy’s development slumped slightly.
“You still feel the hole here in this program of really, almost two straight years with really very little in terms of kind of the young ability, young depth in this program that you’re developing behind the scenes,” Riley said in early December.
“All of a sudden,” he continued, “you look up, and these guys are starting to become pretty good players.”
Sure, perhaps a slightly veiled shot at the Clay Helton administration’s recruiting approach. But Riley’s trust in that youth was evident in the Holiday Bowl, where he turned to freshman Elijah Paige as a starter at left tackle – pivoting stalwart Jonah Monheim to right guard – and the line as a whole gave up just six pressures, letting Miller Moss operate in rhythm for four quarters.
Now with the early transfer window closed, USC hasn’t brought in anyone from the portal on the offensive line, another sign of Riley’s trust in that youth group moving forward. If Paige and Alani Noa – who started in Week 0 – are ready for consistent snaps, it gives the Trojans the makings of a solid group as they head to the Big Ten, with Monheim and Pregnon as steady starters and Gino Quinones fighting for time after a season-ending injury.
Here’s a full breakdown of USC’s offensive line entering spring practice, the third in a six-part series examining the post-early portal outlook for every part of the roster.
Offensive line
Returning: Fr. Micah Banuelos, Sr. Cooper Lovelace, Sr. Gino Quinones, Soph. Kilian O’Connor, Jr. Emmanuel Pregnon, Fr. Elijah Paige, Fr. Tobias Raymond, Fr. Amos Talalele, Soph. Mason Murphy, Fr. Alani Noa, Jr. Jonah Monheim
Arriving: 2024’s Jason Zandamela (Clearwater, Fla.), 2024’s Makai Saina (Arlington, Texas), 2024’s Justin Tauanuu (Huntington Beach), 2024’s Kalolo Ta’aga (Palo Alto), 2024’s Hayden Treter (Englewood, Colo.)
Departing: Sr. Jarrett Kingston (eligibility), Jr. Andres Dewerk (transfer, unknown), Sr. Justin Dedich (eligibility), Sr. Michael Tarquin (transfer, Oklahoma), Jr. Andrew Milek (transfer, unknown)
Top questions
Who fills the void at center? For years, USC has had a steady program leader snapping the ball at center; Brett Neilon endured the torment of 2021 to block for Caleb Williams during Lincoln Riley’s first year, and beloved veteran understudy Justin Dedich took over this past fall. Dedich is graduating after a lengthy Trojans career, though, and USC has no shortage of options to replace him but no clear-cut successor, either. Returning senior Gino Quinones is capable of filling in at a variety of spots, but he is coming off a season-ending injury.
Former walk-on Killian O’Connor turned himself into USC’s backup center in 2023 and a player who “absolutely has a future here,” as Riley said in October, but he has a limited number of game reps under his belt. The dark horse here is Zandamela, who played center in high school at Clearwater Academy in Florida – and Riley showed this fall he’s not afraid to give true freshmen some run, with Noa starting in USC’s first game of 2023 against San Jose State.
Where does Monheim fit best? He’s easily the best returning member of this group, and maximizing his value will be key in 2024. He’s shown versatility by taking a wealth of snaps at left tackle, right guard and right tackle across the past two years; perhaps he’ll be back at left tackle again in 2024 to protect Moss’ blind side.
Group X-factor
Ta’aga could be this group’s X-factor for three years running. He has played exactly one season of organized football, transitioning from basketball before his senior year of high school in a rather unique story, but he has the speed and dominant frame (6-foot-7, 265 pounds) to become a major part of USC’s future.
“We felt an intense desire by him to be great,” Riley said on National Signing Day, “and you combine him with one of the best offensive line coaches in the country, that’s a pretty exciting pair.”