USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Praises Impressive Performance From Offensive Line

Eli Sanders didn’t rush for a touchdown, but behind some key blocks from offensive tackle Elijah Paige and guard Tobias Raymond, he took a screen pass and raced down the sideline, untouched for a 73-yard touchdown. 

“I thought, from a whole line standpoint, the perimeter blocking by the wide outs was really good," Riley said. "You saw several big blocks on those that sprung it, and then obviously, ball carriers did a did a great job as well. So anytime you have those explosive plays, that means people at all levels in the offense are executing. That's what you saw.”

Offensive Line Shakeup 

There were several questions surrounding the Trojans offensive line heading into the season, with three starters gone from a year ago. 

USC signed Purdue transfer DJ Wingfield in the winter window to be a plug-and-play guy at the other guard position opposite of Alani Noa, but after a long battle with the NCAA, was ultimately deemed ineligible this month, creating more uncertainty heading into week one. 

Southern Cal decided to move some things around on the offensive line, which included Raymond, who was projected to start at right tackle, to guard. Riley praised his position versatility and called the transition “seamless.”

Justin Tauanuu got his first career start at right tackle. The redshirt freshman played almost the entirety of the Las Vegas Bowl at left tackle to end the 2024 season, when Paige went down early in the first quarter. 

Kilian O'Connor, a former walk-on, who was put on scholarship in the winter, beat out Syracuse transfer J'Onre Reed for the starting center position. Reed is someone that had started 25 games the last two years for the Orange.

“Pretty cohesive group. A lot of what we've seen in camp. I think they've had the benefit of going up against our defensive line every single day, and that's been a real battle,” Riley said. “I know a lot's been made. These guys were all guys that missed the starters, all guys that we recruited came out of high school have developed. And there's a cohesiveness and a toughness about that group that I like.”

Impressive Debuts

Jordan got the start in the backfield and quickly showed why he was the No. 1 rated JUCO running back. He flashed his explosive and power running style with a 26-yard run and capped off the Trojans opening possession with his first rushing touchdown in major college football. 

Sanders accounted for 107 yards of total offense in his debut. Miller saw his first game action in the Cardinal and Gold. His explosive touchdown run came off of a big block from his twin brother, Kaylon, as well Micah Banuelos and freshman Elijah Vaikona. 

Longstreet showed off his athleticism with two rushing touchdowns. Riley called several designed runs for the five-star freshman and drew a ton of ooh’s and ahh’s from the crowd. 

Sustaining Success

Riley had raved about the Trojans running back room heading into the season, stating “I’ll be disappointed if it’s not the best room we’ve had since we’ve been at SC.”

Now, it’s about sustaining the success on the ground against an opponent other than a lower tier Group of Five program.