Lincoln Riley, USC Trojans Reward Walk-On Center Kilian O'Connor With Scholarship

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley showed some love for center Kilian O'Connor on Friday and surprised the Orange County native with a scholarship. O'Connor has spent the last three seasons as a walk-on and earned his first career start against the Texas A&M Aggies in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Kendell Hollowell | Feb 15, 2025

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley embraces offensive lineman Kilian O'Connor (67) after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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One of the feel-good stories that never gets old is watching a walk-on student-athlete get rewarded for their hard work and dedication to a program. The USC Trojans took part in one college football’s proudest traditions when coach Lincoln Riley announced on Friday center Kilian O’Connor would be placed on scholarship.

The moment was captured on video and the team erupted after hearing the news, O’Connor then delivered a speech and broke down the team in the weight room.

Hard work paid off ‼️🔊@kilianoconnor67 is going on SCHOLARSHIP! pic.twitter.com/ezRZyNYbWb
— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) February 15, 2025

“A couple years ago I got a call from a local high school coach, a guy that I know and have recruited his school for a long time,” Riley said. “[He] told me there was this cat here in town that was getting overlooked, that we needed to take a look at. He was exactly right, and that’s why today, Kilian O’Connor is going on scholarship.”

O’Connor was a three-year starter at nearby Santa Margarita Catholic (CA) High School. As a senior, he compiled quite the recognition, earning Cal-Hi Sports All-State Second Team, All-CIF Division 1, Orange County Register All-Orange County, All-Trinity League First Team honors.

O’Connor arrived on campus in 2022 as a walk-on. He did not appear in any games as a true freshman and then saw action in seven games in 2023. O’Connor appeared in three regular season games this past season after battling an injury early in the year. The Orange County native earned his first career start against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl.

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With starting center Jonah Monheim opting out of the bowl game as he prepares for the 2025 NFL Draft, Riley turned to O’Connor not only step up in his place, but he also named a team captain for the contest.

He helped anchor an offensive line that was down three starters from the regular season with Mason Murphy in the transfer portal and Elijah Paige suffering an injury on USC's second possession of the game. O'Connor did not allow a sack in 74 offensive snaps and the Trojans racked up 400 yards of total offense. USC overcame a three-touchdown deficit in the second half against the Aggies to pull off a thrilling 35-31 victory. They ended their season the same way it began, with a dramatic last second win over an SEC opponent at Allegiant Stadium.

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley embraces offensive lineman Kilian O'Connor (67) after the game

“I’m so thankful for this opportunity,” O’Connor said. “My dad was a walk-on, my grandpa was a walk-on. This is something that’s really special for me. I just thank you guys every day for making it easy to show up. Love you guys.”

The Trojans signed former Syracuse center J’Onre Reed via the transfer portal. Reed started the last two seasons for the Orange and is expected to be a plug-and-play starter for USC. They also signed former Purdue offensive guard DJ Wingfield to replace Emmanuel Pregnon. Both players have one season eligibility remaining.

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