USC football camp takeaways: Bumpy start for new-look offensive line

The USC football team is through one week of its fall training camp, just long enough for us to have some first impressions.

Here’s what you need to know:

USC will have three new starters on the offensive line this season. The two returners, Justin Dedich and Jonah Monheim, are playing different positions. With all the change, there’s bound to be some bumps in the road.

Thursday was one of those days. Josh Henson, USC’s offensive coordinator and line coach, was not pleased with the linemen following USC’s first padded practice, and he shared that sentiment with reporters afterward.

“I just felt like the other side had the edge and we didn’t respond. And I said, ‘It ain’t a good thing,’” said Henson. “We’ve got to learn to respond. That happens sometimes. Those imbalances in intensity, they always happen in a game, but when you feel it happen you’ve got to respond on your side.”

Henson reiterated his optimism overall for the offensive line, which has four redshirt seniors in key roles. Yet the lapse at practice allowed him a teachable moment for a group that has room to grow.

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It still has time to change, too. Monheim is primarily playing left tackle. Dedich is locked in at center, and Jarrett Kingston seems set at right guard.

The major question mark is at the other guard spot as redshirt senior Gino Quinones is vying with Wyoming transfer Emmanuel Pregnon. Henson seemed to suggest there was another competition simmering at right tackle, where redshirt sophomore Mason Murphy is apparently pushing Florida transfer and projected starter Michael Tarquin.

“Man, I tell you, I thought the two guys right now who are most improved are Mason Murphy and Mike Tarquin,” Henson said. “It’s funny, we’re back to the competition, they’re both at the same spot right now, but Mason has improved a ton.”

That seems to be a consensus at camp. Quarterback Caleb Williams mentioned Murphy was working with a different level of confidence this season. Whether he steals a starting spot or not, Murphy is certain to contribute at some point as USC’s swing tackle.

Christian Roland-Wallace arrived at USC with four years under his belt as an outside cornerback at Arizona. But this fall, he’s working most often on the inside, at nickel.

USC coach Lincoln Riley doesn’t want to pigeonhole him with that title.

Defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace has shown the versatility in training camp to play any position in the secondary.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

“Christian Roland-Wallace is a fun piece for us because his experience and how smart he is, his skill set, he can play anywhere,” Riley said. “I could foresee him playing corner, you could see him playing nickel, you could see him playing safety, he can play any of the five, which is a great thing.”

Roland-Wallace said he doesn’t mind where he plays.

“You put me out there, I’m going to make it happen,” Roland-Wallace said. “But I feel like me playing multiple positions is helping the team and me individually as well. At the nickel spot, you’ve got to be a little bit more vocal, be making the calls, the checks and different things like that.”

If he does continue at nickel, it makes for a bit of a logjam in the secondary. Riley said Max Williams and Jaylin Smith, who both played some nickel last season, still “figure prominently” in USC’s plans.

When Romello Height hurt his shoulder early last fall, he was on his way to being the Trojans’ top edge rusher, but he never made it back to the field. Height had season-ending surgery in September and returned to full strength a few months ago.

The edge rusher position has gotten more crowded in the meantime. Jamil Muhammad, a graduate transfer from Georgia State, seems poised to lead the group, but how the rotation shakes out after that remains to be seen.

Height should factor in, but he doesn’t expect anything to be handed to him.

“I’m just working my way back up,” Height said.

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He may have to contend with a few young challengers along the way. Braylan Shelby especially has been turning heads in camp.

“We all wish we looked like Braylan,” Riley said.

What we don’t know is how quickly the former top-100 prospect will adjust to the finer points of playing college ball.

“He looks like he’s already been in a college program for a few years,” outside linebackers coach Roy Manning said. “But he’s still got to go out there and learn his plays and figure out what he’s doing and figure out the speed of this game.”

Christian Pierce didn’t come to USC with much fanfare, but the freshman safety’s name keeps coming up.

“The thing I love about him, even though he’s a freshman, he doesn’t obviously know everything, yet, the guy flies around,” Riley said. “He plays confident. He tackles confident. He’s one of our more physical players in the secondary and maybe overall on the defense. He brings an attitude to it that you can’t always coach. There’s a real confidence there.”

A few of USC’s offensive linemen have the same impression about a freshman up front, Alani Noa.

“Oh my God, there are some flashes,” offensive lineman Cooper Lovelace said of Noa. “I know we can’t show you guys any film, but there are moments where if you could see some of the things he’s doing — he’s going to be an extremely elite player.”