USC’s offensive line has spent much of the season adjusting on the fly, but the production has barely wavered.
That’s been one of the quieter strengths of the Trojans’ year. Different combinations have come and gone over the last two seasons, yet the offense has still stayed among the Big Ten’s best. USC is first in third-down conversions and fourth-down conversions, second in total offense at 462.4 yards per game, and quarterback Jayden Maiava has been taken down only seven times in seven games.
A lot of that steadiness starts with Zach Hanson. Head coach Lincoln Riley described the offensive line coach as the kind of presence that keeps everyone even-keeled.
“He’s a very steady guy,” Riley said during a Zoom call on Thursday as the 16th-ranked Trojans (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) prepare for Saturday’s game at Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1). “He’s not somebody that fluctuates a lot day to day, and I think our players feed off of that. And so, I think there’s a steadiness about our group.”
Hanson is in his second season coaching USC’s offensive line after handling the tight ends from 2022-2024. A former lineman, he also has a past connection with Riley that goes back to 2019, when he was a senior offensive analyst on an Oklahoma team that reached a College Football Playoff semifinal.
That background has shown up in the way USC has handled injuries and shuffling up front. Freshman Vlad Dyakonov stepped in at left tackle for Elijah Paige against Penn State and looked composed.
Tobias Raymond slid to center when Kilian O’Connor went down with a season-ending injury at the start of the season. Kaylon Miller has now filled in at left guard after Hayden Treter was hurt and has missed two straight games.
“That’s just how coach Hanson’s been coaching (us),” right tackle Justin Tauanuu said. “Last year, we went through a lot of O-lines.
We had a lot of different combinations as an O-line, so he’s just really prepared us for a next-man-up mentality. We always prepare to be the starter for that week.”
The Trojans have done all of that without leaning on transfers, which has given the group a built-in continuity. Riley said that homegrown feel matters.
“We’ve got a lot of guys that were kind of homegrown here in this program,” Riley said. “We got a good, healthy young group. And Zach’s obviously had a big role in helping to put that entire group together.”
Riley also singled out several freshmen when asked who has been standing out. Keenyi Pepe, Breck Kolojay and Esun Tafa all drew his attention.
“Our scout teams are pretty competitive right now,” he said. “I think that’s helped this team improve. There’s a lot of these guys behind the scenes that are working that’ll be big-time contributors in this program going forward.”
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