Tobias Raymond Reveals Biggest Strength of USC Trojans Offensive Line

Over the course of the season, the USC Trojans offensive line has gone through a handful of changes in personnel. Despite the numerous amounts of offensive line combinations the Trojans' trotted out, one thing stood out.

The plug and play ability for USC's reserve offensive linemen helped keep the Trojans competitive in the middle of Big Ten conference play.

USC trojans lincoln riley college football playoff big ten Recruiting Transfer NIL Tobias Raymond TCU Horned Frogs Alamo Bowl — Nov 7, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

USC coach Lincoln Riley is known for having a high-flying, up-tempo offense that requires players to be ready to go at a moment's notice As a result, Tobias Raymond said that the Trojans' offensive line unit has to make sure they practice similar to game speed in order to stay in shape.

"Trying to work as hard as you can during practice like finishing every play, going until the whistle is blown, and making sure that you're doing it just like it is in a game," Raymond said. "Our coaches are holding us to a standard, and we're conditioning after practice as well. They're keeping us in shape, and we're just trying to finish the plays as hard as we can."

That mindset has helped reserves like Kaylon Miller, J'Onre Reed, and Micah Banuelos play like seasoned veterans when they were thrust into action due to injury.

Alamo Bowl Excitement

Last year, Raymond earned his first career start in USC's Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M. Raymond knows how special playing in the postseason is.

"It's obviously gonna be a lot of fun. You get a couple of days leading up to the bowl game, you gotta balance having fun, but also staying locked in and just being ready for the job," Raymond said.

Not only is the bowl game an excellent opportunity for more practices and on the field growth, but off the field as well.

Unlike normal road games, where programs stay for as short of a time as possible, the Trojans arrived in San Antonio for Alamo Bowl festivities on Friday, Dec. 26 and will be staying until after their bowl game on Dec. 30.

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Keys To A Trojans' Win

A lot of programs who didn't make the College Football Playoff are battling opt-outs. The Trojans aren't immune to them as wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane are just a few of the names who won't be suiting up for USC.

Along the offensive line, the Trojans will be good to go with the exception of Makai Saina and Micah Banuelos, who both entered the transfer portal. Elijah Paige and Killian O'Connor will be out due to injury, but that was to be expected.

If the Trojans can control the line of scrimmage vs. TCU, it could be the deciding factor for who wins the game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava and running back King Miller are capable of providing enough juice to power USC's offense behind their offensive line.

ESPN Analytics gives USC a 69.8 percent chance of winning the game.

Alamo Bowl Excitement

Keys To A Trojans' Win

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