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USC spring football review: Offensive line

<p>USC spring practice review: Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry discuss the offense.</p>

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End-of-spring offensive line depth chart for the USC football team:

Starters: Senior Max Tuerk, fourth-year junior Zach Banner, sophomore Viane Talamaivao, sophomore Damien Mama and sophomore Toa Lobendahn or fourth-year junior Chad Wheeler

Backups: Redshirt freshman Jordan Austin, fourth-year junior Jordan Simmons, third-year sophomore Khaliel Rodgers and redshirt freshman Chris Brown

Reserves: Freshman Roy Hemsley and Chuma Edoga and third-year sophomore Nico Falah

Incoming: Freshman Cole Smith

Review: New coach Bob Connelly inherited a young but experienced group in his first spring at USC. He said he wanted the linemen to slim down in the off-season.

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Tuerk will start for a fourth season, his second at center.

Rodgers, listed as Tuerk’s backup, transitioned from guard to center this spring and said he could excel at the position.

Banner appeared comfortable at right tackle. Austin and Hemsley, who enrolled in January, are listed as Banner’s backups.

Talamaivao and Mama are listed as starters at left guard and right guard, respectively.

Simmons has been slowed or sidelined because of injuries for three seasons but took reps this spring. He is listed as Talamaivao’s back-up.

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Brown worked behind Mama at right guard.

At left tackle, Lobendahn is listed as a co-starter with Wheeler, who was sidelined during spring workouts while recovering from knee surgery he underwent during the 2014 season. A position competition this fall would affect the rest of the line because Lobendahn has shown he can play guard, tackle and center.

Falah worked at left tackle and made noticeable strides.

Edoga enrolled in January and is listed fourth on the depth chart at left tackle.

Smith will join the team in training camp.

Questions or comments about USC? Email me at LNThiry@gmail.com or tweet @LindseyThiry and I will respond to select messages in a weekly USC Now mailbag.

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