USC’s offensive line room has a new freshman to watch, and Breck Kolojay arrives with a real chance to push for snaps sooner than most first-year linemen.
The IMG Academy product came through one of the most crowded recruiting battles of last summer. Kolojay took official visits to Oklahoma, Colorado, Ohio State, Miami, Georgia and USC.
Miami had the early edge, with Georgia also heavily involved, and for a while it looked like the Trojans might be chasing from behind. Instead, Zach Hanson and USC’s revamped recruiting staff kept pressing, and the Trojans also had a built-in advantage with several recruits already connected to Kolojay.
Freshman offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe was his roommate at IMG, and the two took an unofficial visit together last spring. During that trip, they watched a practice at the Coliseum and spent time around future Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald.
Kolojay also shared a youth football team in Colorado with freshman tight end Mark Bowman and center Kannon Smith. He took a mid-week official visit with Bowman last June before announcing for USC last August.
At 6-7 and 325 pounds, Kolojay showed up with the kind of frame that doesn’t need much projection. He was a second-team MaxPreps All-American as a senior and brings a nasty edge that fits the old-school Big Ten style. That kind of toughness can change the tone of a line room fast.
The bigger question now is how quickly that talent turns into playing time.
USC brings back all five starters up front, but that doesn’t mean the lineup is locked. The staff still has room to sort through the best five, and Kolojay was already singled out as the freshman furthest along when Riley spoke at the end of spring practice. Hanson backed that up in April.
“Breck is very talented guy. Physically, very far along for a freshman," Hanson said in April.
"To be able to come and do some of the things that he did early on were really impressive. He's got all the makeup, and he's exactly who we thought he was going to be, too, so he's going to be exciting.”
The most unsettled spot heading into fall camp is center. Kilian O’Connor won the job out of fall camp last season, but multiple lower-body injuries in 2025 kept him out for an extended stretch, and he stayed sidelined through spring after offseason knee surgery. J’Onre Reed filled in, but he has used up his eligibility.
Tobias Raymond gave USC valuable flexibility last season by playing both guard and tackle, and he got extended work at center in the spring as the Trojans look to keep him inside this year. That decision will be clearer over the next month.
Elsewhere, senior Alani Noa is back as a two-year starter at guard. Redshirt sophomore Kaylon Miller appeared in 10 games and made three starts, and he can also handle center.
Redshirt sophomore Hayden Treter adds another layer of versatility after making his first career start at guard in the bowl game to finish last season. Freshman center Kannon Smith had a strong spring, and redshirt freshman center Willi Wascher provides additional depth.
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