Lincoln Riley opens up on the battle at left tackle for USC
Four of the five spots on USC’s offensive line are set.
After the team’s second scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday, head coach Lincoln Riley met with reporters to break down the action. During that availability, Riley broke down the offensive line battle with two weeks before the season, identifying a top six and saying that every position but left tackle is essentially spoken for.
Andrew Vorhees will man the left guard spot. Brett Neilon will be at center. Justin Dedich will man the right guard spot. And Jonah Monheim will take the right tackle spot. Bobby Haskins and Courtland Ford are battling it out at left tackle.
“Left tackle’s interesting right now, certainly,” Riley said. “Right now, we think both Courtland and Bobby are good enough that they’re both going to have a role. I wouldn’t rule out that one of them couldn’t potentially play another position. They’re both smart enough to do it.”
Vorhees is permanently moving inside from left tackle, where he primarily played to close out the final five weeks of the 2021 season. Ford worked with the top unit in the spring before Haskins hit the field. But the Virginia transfer has made a strong impression in fall camp.
Monheim, a third-year sophomore, started seven games at right tackle last season, but did manage a handful of snaps at the opposite tackle position and at right guard. Dedich, though primarily a left guard, also spent a bit of time to the right of Neilon.
It’s a versatile group, and with six guys who all feel like starters at this point, Riley has some flexibility to work with up front.
One thing to remember, though, is even if the group seems set in stone now, anything can happen in-season.
“The selection of this is an ongoing process,” Riley said of the depth chart. “It’s never final. It never ends. We continue the competition throughout practices all year. There will be somebody this year that’s a starter in Game 1 that isn’t in Game 5, and somebody that’s on the scout team or a two or a three in Game 1 who all of a sudden becomes a starter.”
USC opens the new year against Rice at home on Sept. 3. The scrimmage on Saturday concluded the camp portion of USC’s practice schedule, and with classes starting this upcoming week, USC will transition to in-season practices.
You can see Riley’s full availability below: