USC Football: Chuma Edoga On Defensive Line For Summer Workouts

Offensive tackle Chuma Edoga became the latest Trojan to switch positions this offseason, appearing on the defensive line for USC football’s first summer workout.

Player-run practices for USC football this summer began Tuesday morning with offensive tackle Chuma Edoga in unfamiliar territory.

The sophomore lined up opposite his normal position, playing defensive end during the Trojans’ first summer workout, according to Keeley Eure of USCFootball.com

There has been talk of an offensive lineman making the move over to the defensive side of the ball since Spring Camp was still in session. The defensive line lost five contributors, including all three starters, after the 2015 season and has remained one of USC’s most concerning positions.

Kenny Bigelow’s season-ending knee injury middway through the spring was a serious blow at a position which already could not afford injury trouble.

Though young talents like Rasheem Green and Malik Dorton at defensive end and Noah Jefferson at defensive tackle look set to take the next step as starters, depth on the line as a whole remains a major concern.

A possible solution for that problem is to mine the ranks of an extraordinarily deep offensive line unit for extra bodies.

That Edoga was the one to make the switch this summer is a surprise though.

Edoga had an excellent freshman season after getting a headstart as an early enrollee.

Despite sitting behind an established starter in Zach Banner at right tackle, Edoga saw the field regularly thanks to USC’s platooning system with regular substitutions. He even started two games at right tackle when Banner was moved to left tackle to cover for Chad Wheeler.

Though Banner and Wheeler both return for the 2016 season, Edoga was expected to be a valuable sixth man on the line.

His place on the defensive line this summer could be an experiment, a bandaid thanks to low numbers or both.

Whether or not Edoga remains on defense will have to be seen. The bigger question is whether or not Edoga’s impact as a rotational offensive lineman and occasional starter on offense holds greater value than his ability to act as an extra body on defense.

In the spring, Ajene Harris made a similar move from the stacked wide receiving corps to the injury-plagued defensive back group.

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Harris remained as a cornerback for the first summer workout, securing two interceptions on the day, according to Ryan Abraham of USCfootball.com.

The Harris comparison is direct this offseason, but Harris’ standing in the receiving pecking order at receiver was very different from Edoga’s on the offensive line as a borderline starter.

Last year offensive guard Jordan Simmons moved over to help the defensive line at tackle, though he only played one game in a season limited by injury.

Simmons had a strong spring back on the offensive side of the ball, perhaps earning a place in the rotation at guard. Even so, he would have been a prime candidate to work on defense once more.