Trojans say they have open competition on offensive line.
Clay Helton enters the 2021 season under pressure to finally deliver a Pac-12 championship.
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — When Courtland Ford stepped in as USC’s left tackle this past spring and never left, it appeared that the biggest question mark along a questionable Trojans offensive line was answered.
Ford was the only freshman lineman to start a game last season and the first called upon to replace first-round draft pick Alijah Vera-Tucker in April. His future as USC’s left tackle seemed all but assured.
Ford remained in that role to open fall camp Friday. But by Day 2, that seemingly sealed left tackle competition looked wide open.
It was Jonah Monheim (above), not Ford, who stepped in as USC’s first-team left tackle Saturday, signaling that the battle to be the blindside protector is not as won as it once seemed.
“We’ve got an open competition right now with the starting offensive line,” new USC offensive line coach Clay McGuire said. “Jonah, Courtland, [Jalen] McKenzie and [Andrew] Vorhees and [redshirt freshman] Casey Collier, we’ve got guys that are all competing for those tackle spots right now.”
Whether Monheim will keep hold of that role is anyone’s guess. McGuire and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell assured Saturday that they would continue to mix and match linemen in different positions. But both made a similar promise in the spring, only for Ford to spend the entire session solidified at left tackle.
Even as Ford took hold of the role then, Monheim earned effusive praise from coaches over the spring as the Trojans’ second-team right tackle. The hyperbole started with USC’s head coach, as Clay Helton suggested at the time that “Jonah may have had the best camp of anybody on our football team.”
That camp, Monheim said, was crucial in building his confidence.
“I felt a jump in spring, and I’m hoping to keep building on that right now,” Monheim said. “I think that just comes from mental processing, being in the scheme, understanding defensive schemes. I’m just feeling quicker, feeling a little faster.”
The progress was evident Saturday as Monheim routinely stood tall against standout defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu during 11-on-11 work.
He and Ford might both wind up starting – if McGuire holds to his promise of competition at both tackle spots. McKenzie, a senior right tackle, struggled at times last season and could be in jeopardy of losing his job if Monheim and Ford continue to impress. On Saturday, McGuire said he believes all three tackles could “play at a really high level.”
“The trick for us is really to figure out which of the two are the best ones,” McGuire said.
Ford stated his case for one of those two spots over the summer by focusing on rebuilding his body.
“I felt like it changed me totally,” Ford said of USC’s offseason training program. “I feel more control of my body. It’s just more technique and being able to have the repetition. I’m strong enough and powerful enough to sit back and anchor anything.”
It’s still undecided whether he will be the one anchoring the Trojans’ maligned offensive front. But after spending most of the spring in front, Ford doesn’t seem to be backing down from the prospect of a competition.
“I love it,” Ford said. “There’s no spot locked down, so it’s a grind every day, knowing I’m fighting for a starting spot. The motivation inside of me is going to be push me every day. Because I know I have a job to win.”
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Sources: 2 more ASU asst coaches placed on administrative leave – (including former USC DB Chris Hawkins. Hawkins, also a former Trojan grad asst, played at USC from 2013-2017. CAREER: He has 146 tackles, including 6.5 for losses (with a sack), 4 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries (1 for a TD), 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions in his career. He had 22 career starts (14 at FS, 4 at SS and 4 at CB). Pete Thamel (Yahoo Sports) — The scope of the NCAA’s investigation of Arizona State continues to widen, as the school has placed two more assistant football coaches on… Read more »
Random thoughts: Outside of quarterback play, the offensive line is the most intricate to perfect. You have 5 basic blockers who must be synchronized, and to this end it is probably best to have each lineman playing one position, be it guard or left tackle… SC has to win the Pac-12 to save Helton?– How about first winning the South, which will be a tall enough order. Many predict losses to Utah and Arizona St, which means those schools must lose 3 games for SC to get to the title game. A tiger cannot change its stripes so SC is… Read more »
John, Chris made a couple of posts last week that at least raise the issue of whether or not what we are seeing is real (or simply smoke for the same old Helton The Cat). There is a chance that McGuire has taken over the role of head coach for the O. Lord knows The Cat could not fill it. Chris reported that McGuire has more “wisdom” in the Air Raid than GH (again, Helton has none). By that I mean he understands how to implement its principles given the talent on hand and the level of opponents faced. It… Read more »
I got to spend a few days with a parent of a kid on the team. It was interesting to hear his take. GH definitely rubs the offense, it’s all his alone. Clay McGuire knows the offense well and has a ton of experience in it. But he is a leach guy through and through. He would rather throw for 3 yards than run it. We should see improvement in our line play, but it will not be a run heavy team. Again, all this from a parent.
Thanks for the update. I think we all knew that Clay was lying when he talked about 40 carries a game. SC will need to throw on 3rd and 2, unless Dart is the QB. Other than Lincoln Riley, I do not know any Air Raid coach who can run without a very mobile QB.
What is nice is to be talking football for a change. We all have beaten CH into the ground and know what he is. I can see the staff working around him. I have to say Harrell really needs to mature quickly, get the ground game established, and then throw out a balanced offense. I can understand getting players the ball in space, but sometimes the QB needs to take the ball off of the center and holes need to be opened to gain that yard or two we always seem short of. I cannot even count the number of… Read more »
My impression from this article is the coaches still don’t know not just who is 1st or 2nd at a position but who will be on the right or left. Seems to me with less than 4 weeks to kick off that should be decided. They may be tackles but the right side is different from the left and they should be honing those skills and battling for starter at this point. Am I wrong is still plenty of time?
Day two of camp, there’s plenty of time. Sounds like they want both the young guys to play and that McKenzie might be sitting. With Clay (Helton) that is almost never the case. He always chooses the older players, even if the younger guys are better. We shall see.
CH will never name a starter until opening game day. I makes him look like he has worked real hard and given it a lot of thought. Then he starts the more senior player anyway. Toa!!
Chris, Perhaps there is a chance that Helton will actually defer to McGuire on the OL starters. Who knows. Maybe Helton will let Toa choose the starters! The Cat just may be that stupid.
From my reading around the other sites, Greg Katz thinks that Clay Helton’s future depends on whether the Trojan fans show up for the games. I think that is partially correct. Given the NIL income and the one year transfer rule, if Clay bombs this year, what the talent on the team thinks is far more important than the fans. If the talent transfers out to greener pastures, Clay is gone. Ryan A likes the running back transfer from TCU a lot and also really like Taj Washington, the Memphis WR transfer.
Ford was the only freshman lineman to start a game last season and the first called upon to replace first-round draft pick Alijah Vera-Tucker in April. His future as USC’s left tackle seemed all but assured.
Sources: 2 more ASU asst coaches placed on administrative leave – (including former USC DB Chris Hawkins. Hawkins, also a former Trojan grad asst, played at USC from 2013-2017. CAREER: He has 146 tackles, including 6.5 for losses (with a sack), 4 deflections, 2 fumble recoveries (1 for a TD), 2 forced fumbles and 3 interceptions in his career. He had 22 career starts (14 at FS, 4 at SS and 4 at CB). Pete Thamel (Yahoo Sports) — The scope of the NCAA’s investigation of Arizona State continues to widen, as the school has placed two more assistant football coaches on… Read more »
Random thoughts: Outside of quarterback play, the offensive line is the most intricate to perfect. You have 5 basic blockers who must be synchronized, and to this end it is probably best to have each lineman playing one position, be it guard or left tackle… SC has to win the Pac-12 to save Helton?– How about first winning the South, which will be a tall enough order. Many predict losses to Utah and Arizona St, which means those schools must lose 3 games for SC to get to the title game. A tiger cannot change its stripes so SC is… Read more »
John, Chris made a couple of posts last week that at least raise the issue of whether or not what we are seeing is real (or simply smoke for the same old Helton The Cat). There is a chance that McGuire has taken over the role of head coach for the O. Lord knows The Cat could not fill it. Chris reported that McGuire has more “wisdom” in the Air Raid than GH (again, Helton has none). By that I mean he understands how to implement its principles given the talent on hand and the level of opponents faced. It… Read more »
I got to spend a few days with a parent of a kid on the team. It was interesting to hear his take. GH definitely rubs the offense, it’s all his alone. Clay McGuire knows the offense well and has a ton of experience in it. But he is a leach guy through and through. He would rather throw for 3 yards than run it. We should see improvement in our line play, but it will not be a run heavy team. Again, all this from a parent.
Thanks for the update. I think we all knew that Clay was lying when he talked about 40 carries a game. SC will need to throw on 3rd and 2, unless Dart is the QB. Other than Lincoln Riley, I do not know any Air Raid coach who can run without a very mobile QB.
What is nice is to be talking football for a change. We all have beaten CH into the ground and know what he is. I can see the staff working around him. I have to say Harrell really needs to mature quickly, get the ground game established, and then throw out a balanced offense. I can understand getting players the ball in space, but sometimes the QB needs to take the ball off of the center and holes need to be opened to gain that yard or two we always seem short of. I cannot even count the number of… Read more »
In Toa I trust. We are saved!
He’s undoubtedly the great technician per Helton. All is good!
My impression from this article is the coaches still don’t know not just who is 1st or 2nd at a position but who will be on the right or left. Seems to me with less than 4 weeks to kick off that should be decided. They may be tackles but the right side is different from the left and they should be honing those skills and battling for starter at this point. Am I wrong is still plenty of time?
Day two of camp, there’s plenty of time. Sounds like they want both the young guys to play and that McKenzie might be sitting. With Clay (Helton) that is almost never the case. He always chooses the older players, even if the younger guys are better. We shall see.
CH will never name a starter until opening game day. I makes him look like he has worked real hard and given it a lot of thought. Then he starts the more senior player anyway. Toa!!
Chris, Perhaps there is a chance that Helton will actually defer to McGuire on the OL starters. Who knows. Maybe Helton will let Toa choose the starters! The Cat just may be that stupid.
From my reading around the other sites, Greg Katz thinks that Clay Helton’s future depends on whether the Trojan fans show up for the games. I think that is partially correct. Given the NIL income and the one year transfer rule, if Clay bombs this year, what the talent on the team thinks is far more important than the fans. If the talent transfers out to greener pastures, Clay is gone. Ryan A likes the running back transfer from TCU a lot and also really like Taj Washington, the Memphis WR transfer.
Especially on the offensive side of the ball there has been no player improvement due to coaching. Hopefully that is changing.