Three Toughest Pass Rushers USC's Offensive Line Will Play Next Season

For the USC Trojans to compete at a high level in the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff, coach Lincoln Riley must put USC in a position to beat the top teams in the conference, in addition to taking care of business against inferior teams.

When preparing for Big Ten matchups, one of the biggest things that Riley and the Trojans have to pay attention to are the edge rushers, because some of the elite edge rushers can often completely disrupt a game.

Three Toughest Pass Rushers USC Will Play Next Season Offensive Tackles Elijah Paige Justin Tauanuu Coach Lincoln Riley — Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Teitum Tuioti (44) reacts after a sack against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Teitum Tuioti, Oregon Ducks

One of the top pass rushers for the Trojans to pay attention to is Teitum Tuioti, who plays for the Oregon Ducks.

Standing at 6-3 and 263 pounds, Tuioti is a solid force up front for the Ducks and has proven to be a reliable contributor in the run game and get after the quarterback as well. In 2025, Tuioti recorded 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. As an edge rusher, Tuioti is very productive and definitely someone that USC must pay attention to.

At this point, it does seem that Elijah Paige and Justin Tauanuu will be the starting offensive tackles for the Trojans with Paige on the left side and Tauanuu on the right side. In 2025, USC matched up with Oregon, and despite Paige being out due to injury, the Trojans held Tuioti to five tackles, one tackle for loss, and zero sacks. While USC did lose that game 42-27, the ability to limit Tuioti’s impact on the game was huge.

If Paige and Tauanuu are both healthy for the Oregon matchup on Sept. 26, the Trojans could have the ability to repeat that effort and potentially beat the Ducks with the support of the home fans in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Ohio State Buckeyes

Later in the season, the Trojans have another key matchup at home as they host the Ohio State Buckeyes on Oct. 31. Ohio State also happens to have a great pass rusher in the form of Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

Last season, Jackson was quite productive as he tallied 28 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, and two pass deflections. With Jackson’s frame at 6-6 and 265 pounds, he has length that could give USC’s offensive line issues with his ability to balance speed and power as a pass rusher and as a disruptor in the run game.

If USC is not careful, Jackson’s balance of power and explosiveness could completely take over the game and force the Trojans into leaning more into the pass game, which could heavily favor the Buckeyes’ strong defense.

To avoid that, Paige and Tauanuu must figure out a way to mix up pass sets to force Jackson into different moves and use their power in the run game to displace Jackson and create lanes for the Trojans’ running backs. If Paige and Tauanuu can play well, USC should be in a good spot and have a balanced game plan that could help the Trojans to pick up a key win against Ohio State in Big Ten conference play.

Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon Ducks

Oregon has another solid pass rusher in Matayo Uiagalelei, who is a great complement opposite Tuioti.

Uiagalelei brings a lot of power with his 6-5 and 272-pound frame, which has given opposing offensive tackles major problems trying to figure out how to stop his power rush while also being prepared for his rush counters.

During the 2025 season, Uiagalelei was very disruptive as he totaled 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. On the edge, Uiagalelei has demonstrated that he can make a significant impact and at times be the most disruptive player on the field.

USC witnessed that disruption firsthand as Uiagalelei recorded seven tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble in the 2025 matchup with the Trojans, which played a part in USC falling to Oregon. However, Paige was not healthy for the game against the Ducks, which did have an impact on the Trojans’ offensive line rotation, as Tauanuu was forced to play out of position at left tackle.

With Paige in the lineup for the 2026 matchup with Oregon, Tauanuu should have the ability to play his normal position of right tackle, which would give the USC offensive line a lot more confidence moving into this game based on Paige holding down the left tackle spot as one of USC’s top linemen.

The Trojans also have the benefit of playing at home in this game, which could allow quarterback Jayden Maiava and the offensive line to change the snap count and not allow Uiagalelei to get off the ball as fast, which should limit his effectiveness as a pass rusher and in the run game. Paige and Tauanuu could also mix in different pass sets to disrupt Uiagalelei’s rhythm and make him go to his counters a lot more than he wants to.

If USC can successfully mix up the snap count in addition to Paige and Tauanuu changing up pass sets, the Trojans should be able to limit the impact of Uiagalelei and give themselves a better chance to execute the game plan in the run game and the pass game.

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