USC Coach Lincoln Riley Encouraged by Depth and Talent at Crucial Positions

CHICAGO — When USC first joined the Big Ten in 2024, they had two glaring weaknesses, the offensive and defensive line. They weren’t well-equipped to handle what came with playing in the trenches in their new conference.

However, one of the most encouraging signs of an evolving program is learning from past mistakes. Fast forward to today and the two positions they struggled at a couple of years ago have become two of their biggest strengths.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Recruiting Class Big Ten Media Days College Football Jahkeem Stewart Elijah Paige Fall Camp — Sep 3, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts in the second half against the Rice Owls at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

Southern Cal invested into high school recruiting and player development and retained players this offseason in an all-in effort to build an offensive and defensive line that could stack up with the top schools in the conference.

“An offensive line and defensive line that I think have depth and talent unlike any of my first four years at USC," Riley said at Big Ten Media Days.

Retaining and Stacking Talent on Offensive Line

USC returns all five starters on the offensive line in left tackle Elijah Paige, right tackle Justin Tauanuu, guards Tobias Raymond and Alani Noa and center Kilian O’Connor.

Paige and Noa are the most experienced, each having logged over 20 starts. Tauanuu and Raymond started all 13 games last season. O’Connor was limited to six starts because a pair of injuries, but the redshirt senior is the oldest returning player on the offensive line.

Offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe and his IMG Academy (Fla.) roommate, guard Breck Kolojay, are two freshmen that are college ready. Pepe was a five-star recruit and No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2026 class according to 247Sports. Kolojay brings a tenacity that epitomizes a Big Ten offensive lineman. Those two will continue to push the returning starters in fall camp.

Guard Kaylon Miller started three games last season, while guard Hayden Treter made his first career start in the Alamo Bowl. Elijah Vaikona saw action in four games at left tackle during his true freshman season at left tackle. Aaron Dunn was a top 200 overall prospect in the 2025 class and Vlad Dyakonov was that in the 2026 class. The two offensive tackles create depth.

Dyakonov is building a lot of momentum in his young career. A fast riser in the 2026 class, the four-star offensive tackle shined all week at the Navy All-American. The Northern California native put together a very good spring and continued to add strength and weight in the summer. Center Kannon Smith is another freshman that caught the attention of Riley in the spring.

Depth, talent and experience bode well for a quarterback Jayden Maiava, who was sacked just 11 times in 2025, second-fewest in the Big Ten. The Trojans also return their two leading rushers in Waymond Jordan and King Miller, both of whom averaged over 6.0 yards per carry last season.

The most successful offenses that Riley has coached are the ones that can effectively run the ball at a high rate, to create a balanced approach.

Gary Patterson Smitten by Defensive Line Room

When new USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson first arrived earlier this year, one thing that immediately caught his eye was the size of the Trojans defensive line. A unit that has been years in the making.

Michigan State transfer Alex VanSumeren and sophomore Jahkeem Stewart lead the way at the interior of defense. Jide Abasiri started nine games last season at defensive tackle but is expected to see more action at defensive end this season.

Jamaal Jarrett returns after being limited to five games in 2025. Floyd Boucard quickly made an impression last spring and fall camp and became a key rotational player as a true freshman. And then there are the two freshmen in five-star Jaimeon Winfield and four-star Tomuhini Topui, both of whom are expected to be day one contributors.

Kameryn Crawford and Braylon Shelby, ranked first and second respectively on the team in sacks last season. Both have been part-time starters the past two seasons and have plenty of Big Ten experience. Zurich Fisher transferred from Penn State for his seventh year and gives the Trojans another veteran pass rusher.

Luke Wafle, the No. 1 overall recruit, was one of the crown jewels of the 2026 class. The New Jersey native doesn’t look like an ordinary freshman with his 6-foot-6, 265-pound frame. The only question surrounding Wafle is does he start in week 0 against San Jose State.

USC Trojans Early Enrollee Spring Practice Elbert Hill Luke Wafle Talanoa Ili Pete Carroll LenDale White Recruiting Class — USC Trojans freshman defensive end Luke Wafle | USC Trojans freshman defensive end Luke Wafle

Jadyn Ramos was someone the staff was very high on despite his recruiting ranking in the 2025 class. Ramos is a natural pass rusher and has gone from 220 pounds to 250 pounds after being in the program for a full year. Four-star defensive ends Simote Katoanga and Braeden Jones add great size and depth the position.

USC will see its fair share of talented signal-callers this fall. A defensive line that can make quarterbacks uncomfortable can change games. There are three big areas the Trojans have to make big strides in on the defensive line — the ability to reset the line of scrimmage, having much better gap discipline and find a more consistent pass rush in Big Ten play.

If Southern Cal wants to take the next step as a program, they have to be able to win at the line of scrimmage in tough games and for the first time in the Riley era, USC has the roster to do so.

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