USC Trojans Roster Shuffling Creates New Strength

Tobias Raymond started last season at guard, but with starting left tackle Elijah Paige suffering two separate lower-body injuries that kept him out of the lineup for an extended period of time, Raymond kicked out to that spot throughout the year.

Raymond's versatility was incredibly valuable, but the plan in 2026 is to keep Raymond in the interior, either at guard or center, where he received a ton of work in the spring.

"I think we have a lot of tackle depth that we feel really good about, which is a great thing to have," said offensive line coach Zach Hanson.

Raymond, taking a ton of reps at center, could just be USC trying to create depth at the position, but the idea of him remaining there in the fall wasn't ruled out at the end of spring practice.

Kilian O'Connor earned the starting center spot coming out of fall camp last year, beating out Syracuse transfer J'Onre Reed. But similar to Paige, O'Connor suffered a pair of lower-body injuries that kept him out for an extended period of time, and he remained out through spring practice as he recovered from knee surgery.

O'Connor does have experience, having appeared in 23 career games, including seven starts across four seasons. A former walk-on, O'Connor has earned everything since he arrived on campus in 2022. The center position will certainly be a storyline to follow when fall camp rolls around.

Intriguing Guard Competition Brewing

Alani Noa is expected to start at one of the guard positions. The Sacramento native has appeared in 29 games, including 22 starts, in his career. An All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2025, Noa is the most experienced player on the Trojans' offensive line. If Raymond stays at center, the other guard position likely becomes a competition between redshirt sophomore Hayden Treter and freshman Breck Kolojay, a four-star recruit in USC's No. 1 class.

Treter is very similar to Raymond because of his position versatility up front. The Colorado native missed the entirety of the 2024 season with an injury and played offensive tackle in mop-up duty this past season, before making his career start at guard in the Alamo Bowl to conclude the year.

USC coach Lincoln Riley stated during spring practice that Kolojay was "the furthest along" of any freshman offensive linemen. The 6-7, 325-pound Kolojay is a prototypical Big Ten offensive lineman with a nasty mean streak that could help continue to change the national perception about the program's level of toughness. Kolojay is also originally from Colorado but played his high school football at IMG Academy (Fla.).

"Breck is a very talented guy," Hanson said. "Physically, very far along for a freshman to be able to come and do some of the things that he did early on were really impressive. He's got all the makeup, and he's exactly who we thought he was going to be."

Interior Offensive Line Depth

Kaylon Miller never knew when his number was going to be called in 2025, but the redshirt sophomore guard stayed ready no matter the situation. Miller saw action in 10 games, including three starts at guard, and was placed on scholarship, along with his twin brother, running back King Miller, after the season. Miller shouldn't be counted out in the position battle at guard either. He can also play center.

Freshman guard Esun Tafa was a four-star recruit and top 150 overall prospect according to 247Sports. Three-star freshman guard John Fifita is more of a developmental player in 2026, and redshirt sophomore guard Ratumana Bulabalav adds depth.

At center, Willi Wascher made tremendous strides this spring heading into his redshirt freshman season. Freshman Kannon Smith received praise from Riley throughout the season. Both are young and inexperienced, but the Trojans feel good about the depth at the center position.

"It's going to be a competitive five spots in the two deep here," Hanson said.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/usc as USC Trojans Roster Shuffling Creates New Strength.

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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 9:10 PM.