The USC Trojans’ offense was largely successful in college football last season. A big reason for that was the talent the Men of Troy had at every position. Part of their success came from their offensive line play. In a recent article, Aiden Checketts analyzes the importance of tackle Elijah Paige on the Trojans this upcoming season. Here is what he had to say about Paige:
“Along the offensive line, one of the more critical pieces is left tackle Elijah Paige, as he returns to USC after a solid 2025 showing.
Last season, Paige was one of the key anchors along the Trojans’ offensive line as the unit did a great job protecting Maiava throughout the entire season. In 2025, USC allowed a total of 15 sacks, ranking 12th in the nation. In a conference like the Big Ten, being able to protect Maiava with that much success is a testament to USC’s offensive line and specifically Paige as a left tackle.
Moving forward, Paige and the rest of the starters from last season are set to return for 2026 and could be even better as a pass-protection unit. However, USC does have several major tests on the schedule, including Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana, which normally have great past rushing units and create problems for the Trojans’ offensive line.”
Elijah Paige is a player to monitor this season who could heavily impact the Trojans’ offensive success. His return was a huge confidence boost for the offense this season, and if he keeps up his play from last year, the Trojans’ offense should be even better than last season. If he takes a step forward with his play, USC could be looking at another 1st round offensive talent next draft.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Elijah Paige will be an anchor for the USC offense this year
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Micah Huff, Trojans Wire | USA TODAY Network
