dailybreeze
Despite rotating through various offensive line combinations over the past two seasons, USC's offense has continued to perform as one of the most efficient units in the Big Ten Conference. The Trojans lead the conference in third-down and fourth-down conversions and rank second in total offense, averaging 462.4 yards per game. Quarterback Jayden Maiava has been sacked just seven times in seven games, a testament to the line's protection.
A key constant in the trenches has been offensive line coach Zach Hanson, now in his second year leading the group after coaching tight ends from 2022-2024. Head coach Lincoln Riley praised Hanson's even-keeled nature during a Zoom call on Thursday as the 16th-ranked Trojans (6-1 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) prepare for Saturday's game at Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1). "He's a very steady guy," Riley said. "He's not somebody that fluctuates a lot day to day, and I think our players feed off of that. And so, I think there's a steadiness about our group."
Hanson's connection with Riley dates back to 2019 when he served as a senior offensive analyst for an Oklahoma team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinal. That steadiness has clearly influenced his players. Freshman Vlad Dyakonov filled in for Elijah Paige at left tackle with veteran poise against Penn State, while Tobias Raymond smoothly transitioned to center at the start of the season after Kilian O'Connor suffered a season-ending injury. Kaylon Miller has taken over at left guard following an injury to Hayden Treter, who has missed two consecutive games.
"That's just how coach Hanson's been coaching us," right tackle Justin Tauanuu said. "Last year, we went through a lot of O-lines. We had a lot of different combinations as an O-line, so he's just really prepared us for a next-man-up mentality. We always prepare to be the starter for that week."
None of the current linemen are transfers, fostering a strong sense of continuity within the group. "We've got a lot of guys that were kind of homegrown here in this program," Riley said. "We got a good, healthy young group. And Zach's obviously had a big role in helping to put that entire group together."
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Riley also highlighted several freshmen offensive linemen who have impressed him, including Keenyi Pepe, Breck Kolojay, and Esun Tafa. "Our scout teams are pretty competitive right now," he said. "I think that's helped this team improve. There's a lot of these guys behind the scenes that are working that'll be big-time contributors in this program going forward."
Originally reported by dailybreeze.