USC Offensive Line is Nation’s 2nd Most Experienced

The USC offensive line will be one of the most experienced offensive lines in the nation with 131 career starts returning in 2016.

On Monday, Phil Steele explored the ranking of career starts across college offensive lines returning this season with the USC offensive line’s 131 starts standing as the second best in the nation.

Bowling Green’s 140 starts returning is the top total in the country while the Trojans share second place with North Carolina and Western Kentucky.

USC returns the most offensive line starts in the Pac-12, with 41 more than Utah’s returners. For comparison, Stanford’s line returns with 40 career starts total, which is second worst in the conference behind only Arizona State.

Contributing to those starting statistics are nine offensive linemen with starting experience. In fact, the Trojans lost just one player with starts to his name after 2015, that’s Max Tuerk, who they played without for half the season after he tore his ACL in early October.

The most impressive part of that wealth of returning experience is that five of those nine have more than a season of starts under their belts from Chad Wheeler’s 34 starts to Damien Mama’s 17.

Not included in that number? Khaliel Rodgers who started nine games in 2015, Nico Falah who technically started just one game but served as USC’s primary center while Rodgers struggled through injury in the final three games of the season, and Chuma Edoga and Chris Brown who started twice last year.

The trouble for USC’s offensive line over the past few years has been in the coaching ranks. The Trojans have not returned an offensive line coach since James Cregg departed after the 2013 season.

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Tim Drevno took over under Steve Sarkisian in 2014, then left the Trojans for Michigan. He was followed by Bob Connelly, who was not retained by Clay Helton when was named head coach. Helton instead brought in Neil Calloway to add consistency and physicality to a gifted group of linemen.

Calloway, a demanding disciplinarian, could be the key for USC’s ability to navigate a difficult schedule. There’s no question that he has the tools to create a top-level offensive line.

As Steele points out, UCLA had the most experienced offensive line last year yet saw their rushing totals drop. Still, that line improved from giving up 41 sacks to just 15.

USC has given up 30 or more sacks in each of the last three years. The five years prior to that they had given up no more than 20 in a single year. An improvement in that sense on par with the Bruins’ would be a major boost for the Trojans.

In the same vein, building on last year’s strong rushing performances would be the cornerstone of a successful season in Troy.