USC football scratches DL starter Caleb Tremblay ahead of Arizona game

USC football will be without Caleb Tremblay on the defensive line vs. Arizona

Just before last week’s game with ASU, USC football was hit with a tough defensive line blow as Brandon Pili was ruled out for the opener.

A week later, the defensive line has suffered another hit.

Defensive tackle starter Caleb Tremblay is not dressed for the game in Tucson.

With Pili out again this week, USC’s defensive line depth is getting slimmer and slimmer.

Caleb Tremblay is a veteran figure who will be missed by USC football

Tremblay was part of the strong defensive line performance for USC against ASU, but injuries have once again gotten in the way of his career taking off.

A knee injury took him out of the 2018 season after just a few games while he missed the 2019 season opener with an injury as well. He later suffered a stinger against Arizona.

He made two starts last year but was slated to play a much bigger role in 2020.

On the plus side, Tremblay’s back up is another veteran. Connor Murphy is likely to start at defensive tackle, which is a fitting development considering he hails from the state of Arizona.

Murphy made his first career start last year against BYU and has been a contributor on the defensive line since making the switch from outside linebacker. He’s never really had an opportunity to make a big mark for the Trojans. This is now his shot.

USC is a heavy favorite over Arizona, so the loss of a defensive line starter shouldn’t impact the impression that the Trojans will prevail. Still, the Trojans will need to hold their own in the trenches in order to put in a performance worthy of the hype for this season.

As expected, starting center Brett Neilon will not appear on Saturday either.

A sloppy opening performance limited USC in Week 1. Arizona may face similar issues since their first game was canceled because of COVID-19.