If USC is going to hold its own in the Big Ten next season, the Trojans’ offensive line is going to be tested by some serious edge talent. And when the schedule turns toward Oregon and Ohio State, the spotlight lands squarely on two names up front for USC: Elijah Paige and Justin Tauanuu.
The Trojans appear set to open with Paige at left tackle and Tauanuu at right tackle, and that alignment will matter immediately against some of the conference’s best pass rushers. USC already saw what can happen when those matchups go right - and what still happens when the Ducks find enough pressure elsewhere to tilt the game.
One of the biggest problems on the schedule is Oregon’s Teitum Tuioti. The 6-3, 263-pound edge rusher put together a big 2025 season with 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. He brings production in both the run game and as a quarterback hunter, which makes him the kind of player USC has to account for snap after snap.
USC did a decent job limiting Tuioti in last season’s matchup with Oregon. Even without Paige, the Trojans held him to five tackles, one tackle for loss, and no sacks.
USC still lost 42-27, but keeping Tuioti from taking over was a bright spot. If Paige and Tauanuu are both healthy for the Sept. 26 rematch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, USC has a chance to duplicate that kind of control with the home crowd behind it.
Oregon has another problem for USC to deal with in Matayo Uiagalelei. At 6-5 and 272 pounds, Uiagalelei brings a heavy dose of power off the edge and has shown he can wreck an offensive tackle’s rhythm with both his rush and his counters. In 2025, he posted 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
USC felt that pressure in the 2025 meeting, too. Uiagalelei finished with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble in a game that helped push Oregon past the Trojans. Paige was not healthy in that one, and Tauanuu had to move out of position to left tackle, which affected USC’s offensive line rotation.
That changes the picture for 2026. With Paige back in the lineup, Tauanuu should be able to stay on the right side, where USC wants him, and that alone gives the Trojans a better foundation against Oregon.
Playing at home should help too, especially if quarterback Jayden Maiava and the offensive line can vary the snap count and keep Uiagalelei from firing off the ball cleanly. USC can also use different pass sets to force him into more of his counters and take away some of his edge.
The other major test comes against Ohio State on Oct. 31, and the Buckeyes bring their own disruptive force in Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Jackson put up 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two pass deflections last season, and his 6-6, 265-pound frame gives him the length to bother tackles in multiple ways.
Jackson’s mix of speed, power, and explosiveness can wreck a game if USC lets him get comfortable. He can stress the pass protection and make life harder in the run game, and if he starts winning early, Ohio State’s defense can force the Trojans into leaning on the pass more than they want.
USC’s answer has to come from Paige and Tauanuu. The Trojans need them to vary their pass sets, keep Jackson guessing, and then use their strength in the run game to move him off his spot and open lanes for the backs. If that happens, USC has a real chance to keep the offense balanced and put itself in position for a key Big Ten win.
In Other News...
Lincoln Riley Made One USC Staff Decision Fans Should Love
USCs defensive overhaul under Lincoln Riley came with the kind of staff reshuffling that usually sends fans scanning for both stability and upside, and this one delivered a little of each. The Trojans brought in former TCU head coach Gary Patterson as defensive coordinator and added assistants Paul Gonzales and Sam Carter, while also hiring Mike Ekeler to coach linebackers and oversee special teams. In the middle of that turnover, Riley also elevated Chad Savage from inside receivers and tight ends coach to pass game coordinator, a move that reflects how much USC values the work he has done on the trail and in developing players.
Savages rise fits the larger theme of the offseason: USC is trying to strengthen the defense without losing the staff members who have helped build relationships and keep the roster moving forward. Trovon Reed, the cornerbacks coach, was also retained, a sign the Trojans did not want to lose the recruiting momentum and player trust he has built. With Patterson setting the tone on one side of the ball and familiar lieutenants staying in place around him, Riley is trying to strike the balance between a fresh start and continuity, and that is exactly the kind of staff construction fans usually want to see. [Read more 🡒]
USC Faces Another Massive Receiver Battle Fans Know Too Well
USC is back in familiar territory with four-star wide receiver Dennis Tuaone, another highly regarded pass catcher weighing the Trojans against Miami in a recruitment that has plenty of moving parts. The hometown Hurricanes have been a major presence from the start, but USC has stayed in the mix after offering him in March and bringing him in for his first unofficial visit in June, giving the Trojans a real chance to sell their own pitch.
For Tuaone, this decision is shaping up around the kind of things elite receivers tend to remember: coaching relationships, the feel of a program, and how each staff fits him long term. Miami has been making a strong case with its ties close to home, while USC is trying to stand its ground in a battle that has already seen the Hurricanes track another former Trojans target. [Read more 🡒]
USC Has A New Penn State Threat To Worry About
Penn State enters the season with a passing game in transition after losing its top five leading receivers from last year, and that leaves a wide-open path for someone to seize a bigger role. One of the names USC has to keep on its radar is Amarion Jackson, a former safety who ended up at receiver because of injuries and now looks like a real option for an offense that needs answers.
Jacksons path is a little different from the usual freshman arrival, since he followed coach Campbell from Iowa State to Penn State after flipping his pledge. He has also turned heads in spring work, which only adds to the sense that he could be one of the more important new pieces in Penn States offense when the matchup with USC eventually comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]