USC Football: Former Trojan OL star Could Be Out For 2024 NFL Season

August 13, 2024 Kerry Will College Football 0

In the Cowboys’ preseason opener, former USC offensive lineman Chuma Edoga suffered an injury that forced him to leave the game early. The severity of the injury and the expected recovery time are still unclear.

ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that Edoga sustained a toe injury against the Los Angeles Rams after his foot was crushed during a play. Following the Cowboys’ narrow 12-3 loss, Edoga was seen wearing a boot. He is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of his injury.

“Chuma Edoga will have an MRI for the toe injury he suffered in the first quarter,” Archer noted on On3.com. “There is some internal concern. Tyler Guyton appeared to manage his duties at left tackle quite well on Sunday. The rookie will be expected to take on more responsibilities.”

Guyton, a rookie, made his NFL debut by replacing Edoga at left tackle after the injury, playing 21 snaps, including 13 in blocking situations.

Chuma was drafted by the New York Jets as the 92nd overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and is currently listed as the starting left tackle for the Cowboys. In contrast, Guyton was selected as the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

According to On3.com, the plan was always for Guyton to be the starting left tackle. Edoga was re-signed to a one-year contract this season as a depth option for the Cowboys’ offensive line, ensuring they had a reliable left tackle in case Guyton was not prepared to start or faced an injury. Ironically, it was Edoga who suffered the injury, leaving Guyton to step in.

Chuma’s injury is particularly unfortunate as the first regular season game is less than a month away, scheduled for September 8 against the Browns. He is one of three starters listed as questionable, alongside three-time Pro Bowlers quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.

This injury follows Chuma’s previous season-ending knee injury in Week 12 of 2022. Depending on the MRI results, this could mark one of the earliest season-ending injuries of his professional career.

Football at USC: Trojans Earn First Place in AP Top 25.

USC football has been recognized as one of the top 25 teams in college football in the first AP Top 25 poll for the 2024 season, coming in at No. 23, which is the same position they held at the end of the previous year.

The top-ranked team in the poll is Georgia, who are the two-time College Football Playoff National Champions from 2021 and 2022. Following Georgia, the rankings include Ohio State at No. 2, Oregon at No. 3, Texas at No. 4, and Alabama at No. 5.

USC Football Ranked No. 23 in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll

USC football has been named one of the top 25 teams in college football according to the first AP Top 25 poll ahead of the 2024 season. The Trojans come in at No. 23, the same spot they finished in at the end of last year.

The Trojans are the fifth Big Ten team to make the Top 25 poll, after Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State (No. 8), and Michigan (No. 9). A total of six Big Ten teams made the first poll, with Iowa coming in at No. 25.

New Look for USC in 2024

USC will have a new look on both offense and defense this season. On offense, the Trojans lost many of their top skill position players to the NFL, including quarterback Caleb Williams, who went on to become the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Outside of Williams, USC also lost running back MarShawn Lloyd and receivers Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice.

Williams was a primary reason the Trojans ranked in the top 25 over the last two years and even ranked in the top 10 at points. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner was a top quarterback in college football and helped USC emerge as contenders, especially in 2022 when they finished atop the Pac-12 standings in the regular season.

Quarterback Competition and Defensive Improvements

The Trojans feel good about their quarterbacks, featuring presumed starter Miller Moss and transfer Jayden Maiava. Moss is coming off a record-breaking performance in the Holiday Bowl in which he threw six touchdown passes, and looks to take over as the team’s starter. Along with Moss, USC has a stable of weapons they believe can step up including Ja’Kobi Lane, Zachariah Branch, and Makai Lemon.

Defensively, USC brought in former UCLA defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn to turn around a defense that ranked 116th in yards allowed per game last season. The Trojans defense was easily the team’s Achilles heel, and USC is hopeful that Lynn will pull off the turnaround he did at UCLA when he transformed the Bruins squad into a top-10 unit in just one season.

With a new-look roster and coaching staff, the Trojans will look to prove their worth in the 2024 season and climb the rankings. The No. 23 preseason ranking serves as a starting point, but USC will need to deliver on the field to solidify their position among the nation’s elite teams.

USC Football: In NFL Debut, Former Trojans WR Gets Startling Snap Count

USC alum Brenden Rice recorded the highest snap count among all receivers in the Los Angeles Chargers’ preseason opener against the Seattle Seahawks.

Despite the Chargers’ 16-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Brenden Rice’s high snap count suggests he has secured a solid position on the roster as a former USC player. Throughout the game, Rice found himself open multiple times, but the Chargers’ quarterbacks were unable to connect with him. Although he didn’t make any significant plays on Saturday, his snap counts are a positive sign for the rookie.

There’s currently a competition for the No. 4 wide receiver spot on the team. Second-year player Quentin Johnston has been struggling with dropped passes and consistency, which has opened the door for Rice to potentially claim a spot in the receiver lineup.

The Chargers selected Rice in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 225th overall. His draft position surprised many, including his father, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice. “My dad was hot,” Rice joked with reporters in May. “The first words he said were, ‘Time to go to work.’ He said, ‘I will be with you every step of the way.’ He added that he would be involved in all my workouts from now on, and we have a lot of people to prove wrong.” Jerry Rice even attended the Chargers’ joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams to support his son.

Brenden has shown promise during training camp, catching the attention of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, and was highlighted as a player to watch ahead of the preseason game against the Seahawks. In 2023, Rice had an impressive senior season at USC, recording 45 receptions for 791 yards and leading the team with 12 touchdowns.

As the preseason unfolds, Brenden Rice is making a strong case for a spot on the Chargers’ roster, and fans will be eager to see how he continues to develop.

Brenden Rice played in 12 games for the Trojans during the 2023 season, starting 11 of those contests. He earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team in his senior year.

In addition, Rice ranked seventh in the nation for receiving touchdowns in his final season at USC.

He became the first Trojan selected by the Chargers since defensive linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who was picked in the second round of the 2023 draft as the 54th overall selection.

USC Football: The Trojans’ Offseason Muscle Gains Were Unbelievably Large.

Brenden Rice played in 12 games for the Trojans during the 2023 season, starting 11 of those contests. He earned a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team in his senior year.

In addition, Rice ranked seventh in the nation for receiving touchdowns in his final season at USC.

He became the first Trojan selected by the Chargers since defensive linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who was picked in the second round of the 2023 draft as the 54th overall selection.

The Trojans face a significant challenge as they embark on their first season in the Big Ten Conference, which is home to top-tier football programs like Michigan, Penn State, and Ohio State.

Head coach Lincoln Riley is tasked with guiding the program back to prominence. Now in his third year at the helm after leaving Oklahoma, Riley has taken over a team that hasn’t achieved double-digit wins since 2017. With the help of Heisman winner Caleb Williams, he led USC to a victory over Utah in the 2022 Pac-12 Championship.

“People around the program probably have a greater respect for that than those who only see USC from a distance,” Riley shared with On3’s Pete Nakos. “But we’re coming, and we’re coming quickly.”

Currently, the program is in a rebuilding phase, meaning USC is essentially trying to catch up to other established teams in the Big Ten.

“We are playing catch up,” Riley admitted. “We’re behind in facilities, NIL opportunities, and overall resources. We’ve been playing catch up in nearly every way you can imagine.”

This year, the Trojans will kick off the season against LSU in Las Vegas, a formidable opponent for their debut in a new conference.

USC is relying on recruitment to strengthen its roster, having added safety Akili Arnold and linebacker Easton Mascarena-Arnold from Oregon State to enhance both sides of the ball. Additionally, the Trojans managed to retain defensive tackle Bear Alexander, who had considered transferring.

In 2023, USC struggled, losing five of their last seven games after starting the season 6-0. In a surprising move, Riley dismissed defensive coordinator Alex Grinch with two games remaining in the season due to the defense allowing an average of 34.4 points and 433 yards per game.

To address these issues, Riley brought in D’Anton Lynn, formerly of UCLA, as the new defensive coordinator. Lynn also recruited two key defensive players from UCLA, John Humphrey and Kamari Ramsey.

As the Trojans prepare for their new journey in the Big Ten, only time will reveal if they have the talent necessary to establish themselves in this competitive conference.

USC Football: Projected Offense Shows Quarterback of the Year.

Miller Moss stepped in as the starting quarterback for USC after Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl last season. However, Moss had been eagerly awaiting his opportunity to lead the Trojans long before that moment.

After spending three years as a backup, Moss was ready to take the reins of USC’s football program.

“I have a tremendous appreciation for the university and the people that I work with each and every day,” Moss told Michael Cohen of Fox Sports in July. “It’s a great honor to play quarterback for Coach Riley. I had specific goals when I signed at USC, and I wanted to see them through until I couldn’t anymore. That’s why I stayed and persevered.”

Moss is known for being a skilled pocket passer with a quick release. He had an impressive high school career at Bishop Alemany High School in Southern California, where he was a four-star prospect in the class of 2021, ranked as the No. 76 overall player and the No. 12 quarterback in a class that included talents like J.J. McCarthy and Caleb Williams.

His teammates and coaches have noted that Moss has embraced his role as USC’s next leader.

“Miller has been a great leader so far,” said wide receiver Jay Fair via 247Sports. “When I first arrived, Miller reached out to all the guys, and we got together to throw and hang out. That was my first time meeting everyone, and it gave me a great feeling about this year. He’s made sure the newer guys are adjusting well and understanding the plays and offensive installs. He’s done a fantastic job.”

The respect for Moss’s leadership is evident throughout the program, with Trojans quarterbacks coach Luke Huard praising him as well.

“Miller genuinely cares about people,” Huard stated via 247Sports. “He is a true person who looks out for our guys both on and off the field. The players feel that. He’s always there for his teammates, and he loves football. He enjoys mentoring his teammates. Quarterbacks often act as an extension of the coaching staff on the field, and he has a strong understanding of the system, sharing that knowledge with his teammates and acting as an extra coach on the field.”

Moss’s patience and commitment to the program have undoubtedly helped him secure the starting quarterback position at USC.

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*