USC has spent the opening stretch of the season doing something every coaching staff wants but rarely gets for free: keeping its quarterback upright while the pieces around him keep shifting.
That’s been the story up front for the Trojans, who already had to absorb a major blow when returning center Kilian O’Connor went down for the season with a knee injury in fall training camp. It was just the latest test for a group that used six different offensive line combinations last season. Even with the changes, the results have held steady.
“We walk out guys right now that have either played some ball or are pretty smart players,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said on a Thursday morning Zoom call. “It’s a pretty experienced group.”
The payoff has shown up immediately around Jayden Maiava. Through two games, USC’s quarterback has been hit only once, and that came on a sack in the season opener against San José State. Maiava has completed 88.9% of his passes and thrown nine touchdowns in the Trojans’ two wins, while the line has largely kept the pocket clean.
For the men doing the blocking, the focus is less on the box score and more on the bodies in front of them.
“We’re focused on the guys that are twisting in front of us,” offensive lineman Tobias Raymond said. “A lot of times, I have no clue if the ball is gone or not.
But sometimes you do notice that, like, man, I haven’t seen a ball get thrown and it hasn’t been dropped. That’s pretty cool.”
Raymond slid into the center spot after O’Connor’s injury, while Hayden Treter stepped in at left guard. Treter’s path to this moment has been anything but smooth.
Injuries slowed him for most of last season, and when he first got to USC, lingering knee issues kept him from practicing much at all. He did get valuable reps in last season’s Alamo Bowl, and now that he’s a starter, his confidence has taken another step.
Riley said Treter has done “a complete 180,” and Raymond echoed that growth by pointing to the mental side of the job.
“The biggest thing is slowing down the game,” Raymond said. “You get in, and you’re really excited.
You can’t wait to go hit somebody, but if you bury down on one guy and you’re supposed to - you’ve got to work together with other guys. You can’t just worry about your job.”
That collective mindset stretches beyond the offensive line. USC is treating blocking as a must-have skill across the roster, and that includes its skill players. Senior running back Waymond Jordan has posted an 80.9 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks fourth on the team.
“If you’re an offensive skill player, you’re always going to block more than you’re going to carry the football,” Riley said. “That’s how the game works. It’s certainly one of the top, if not the top, things we’ll be evaluating as we continue to figure out who’s going to play.”
There’s also movement on the injury front. Riley said tight end Tucker Ashcraft, defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and safeties Peyton Dyer and Marquis Gallegos could be available for Saturday night’s game against Louisiana. Receiver Terrell Anderson is close as well.
“This was a week where it felt like some of these guys that had a few lingering things out of camp have turned the corner a little bit,” Riley said, “and I don’t know that they all will (play) but all have a chance to.”
USC also made a roster move on Thursday, adding UAB transfer long snapper Caleb Moser. Riley said the Trojans wanted three long snappers on the roster. Luke Brown has handled the job in the first two games, while Dylan Black has been out because of a medical setback.
Moser will likely be eligible for USC’s Sept. 19 game at Rutgers.
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USC Suddenly Has Real Competition Brewing Before Louisiana
USC is getting healthier at just the right time, with Lincoln Riley saying several players have a chance to be available for the Louisiana game. Tucker Ashcraft, Jahkeem Stewart, Peyton Dyer and Marquis Gallegos are all in the mix, and wide receiver Terrell Anderson is close enough to participation that the staff can start planning for him in the near future.
The depth chart is already beginning to reflect the competition behind the scenes, with Gallegos listed alongside Madden Riordan at safety and veteran edge rusher Braylan Shelby sliding behind freshman Luke Wafle. For a team trying to sort out roles early in the season, those are the kinds of changes that can matter just as much as the matchup itself. [Read more 🡒]