USC has a fall camp position battle brewing at right guard

There isn’t any doubt about a number of players on offense who will contribute heavily for the USC Trojans this fall. There also are some pretty sure-thing starters along the offensive line. Jonah Monheim at center and Elijah Paige at left tackle will take the first snaps against LSU. It’s a pretty good bet that Emmanuel Pregnon at left guard and Mason Murphy at right tackle will do the same. But there’s a position battle being waged at right guard this fall, where second-year player Alani Noa looked to be something of a sure thing at the end of spring.

But head coach Lincoln Riley said the Trojans are taking a look at four players for that spot right now: Noa, Amos Talalele, Gino Quinones and Micah Banuelos.

“That’s one of the biggest position battles right now, no question,” RIley said. “We’re trying to look at a lot of guys.”

Noa started the 2023 season-opener at left guard as a true freshman. It was the first time a true freshman started a season-opener at left guard for the Trojans since Toa Lobendahn in 2014. He battled through some up and down play to ultimately see time in six games, including the final two of the season.

Quinones is the experienced veteran of the group. He’s played in 19 games and was set to be a huge piece of the 2023 offensive line before an injury in the second game knocked him out for the season. Talalele and Banuelos, like Noa, were three-star additions in USC’s 2023 recruiting class. Both played in one game last season and used their redshirt years.

Banuelos was recruiting to USC as a center but shuffled to guard fairly early on. Riley said he arrived already dealing with an injury and the team knew they’d need to get it fixed eventually.

“We pulled the plug on that toward the end of last season so he would be ready,” Riley said of getting Banuelos prepped for this year. “It’s been fun to see him dive in as well. I think he’s certainly got a chance to factor in.”

Riley said Banuelos is “really starting to make a move right now” in that right guard competition.

USC flipped Talalele from a commitment to Cal during his recruiting process. He wasn’t a highly-ranked player, but the Trojans were high on him. He was listed at 355 pounds on last year’s roster. He checks in at 340 on this most recent addition.

“Amos has worked hard to get himself in shape,” Riley said. “He’s a smart player. He’s a very talented player.”

Kiffin lumped Talalele and Noa together in some of the strengths and weakness they share right now, entering their second seasons.

“They have the ability, they have the mass, they have the movement skills,” Riley said. “It’s just understanding the game. It’s understanding all the different things that can happen on plays, being able to react, being able to communicate on a consistent basis. They can do it now so much better than when they were true freshmen. But to get it up to the level of a starter is their challenge right now.”

The USC offensive line is one of the questions going into the 2024 season for the Trojans. Finding the right answers in the starting lineup will be one challenge for the Trojan coaches. But developing depth behind those starters is key as well. Hearing Banuelos and Talalele as two young linemen already stepping up and potentially pushing for starting reps is an early positive from camp.

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