Kilian O'Connor's injury will force USC to make significant changes on the OL

USC's starting center, Kilian O'Connor, will not fulfill his projected role after suffering a broken leg this week. The injury is severe enough to rule the experienced offensive lineman and team captain out for the entirety of the 2026 season.

For O'Connor, the path from walk-on to starter and scholarship player has easily made him a fan favorite, beloved by everyone in the program. This injury hurts, proving to be an emotional blow just as much as a physical one, because it now means the Trojans must pivot to Plan B on the offensive line before a single snap is played. Luckily for the program, a couple of viable solutions remain to address this problem.

READ MORE: USC has 2 main uncertainties on offense with fall camp around the corner

Kilian O'Connor injury puts a wrench in USC's OL plans

There are two main points for the Trojans that ultimately prove to be more important than perhaps anyone realized at the time.

The first happened during winter workouts when offensive line coach Zach Hanson nonchalantly mentioned that interior offensive lineman Tobias Raymond would be working and taking snaps at center. For all intents and purposes, this was the first time Raymond had been placed in a situation where learning the center position was deliberate.

It was not major news at the time because, first, he would only be the starting center in an emergency, and second, winter workouts are so far removed from fall camp that few people put an incredible amount of stock into every little detail mentioned. As it turns out, that bit of information has proven to be extremely vital.

The second main point is depth. The Trojans boast an incredible amount of depth at virtually every position and return seven offensive linemen who have all registered career starts.

So, with these points known, what could a possible starting offensive line look like for the Trojans when they take the field against San Jose State in Week 0?

Left Tackle

Elijah Paige returns for one final season and is a no-brainer for the starting role at left tackle. Unless struck down by injury which he suffered last year due to his knee. Paige is a plug-and-play option at left tackle.

Left Guard

This is where the movement begins to happen. If Tobias Raymond takes over the center position, that means his left guard role must be filled. Early indications suggest that returning junior Hayden Treter could accompany Paige on the left side, which is the exact same setup the Trojans deployed during last season's Alamo Bowl.

Center

This will almost certainly be Tobias Raymond. Raymond stands to flash high potential as a center at the NFL level, so while O'Connor's injury certainly hurts, the Trojans are potentially replacing the job with someone who will play center at the professional level.

Right Guard

Alani Noa could be the choice here. He is the most experienced player in the offensive line room with 22 starts in 29 games. Placing him on the right is deliberate, as it provides an incredible amount of experience on the right-hand side and serves as a sense of calm for Raymond.

Right Tackle

The other tackle position is clear as well, as Justin Tauanuu will anchor that position for the Trojans. Tauanuu started all 13 games last season and will add to the wealth of experience on the offensive line.

Projected Lineup:

LT: Elijah Paige
RT: Hayden Treter
C: Tobias Raymond
RG: Alani Noa
RT: Justin Tauanuu

Nicholas Burmood has been covering USC Athletics on Reign of Troy since 2025. Follow Nick on X @FightOnNick

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