Each day that media has access to USC fall camp, TrojanSports.com will break down our top takeaways from what we learned.

We broke out a separate story on redshirt senior nose tackle Kobe Pepe's potential to earn a real role this season, so that is not included in our top takeaways here.

What we do delve into is perspective on redshirt freshman Elijah Paige's emergence into the Trojans' startling left tackle, questions about the right side of the line, notes on a couple intriguing freshmen defensive players, the players who have impressed QB Miller Moss on both sides of the line of scrimmage and more.

For further coverage from the Trojans' fifth practice of camp, check out these links:

-USC Football Q+A: Answering your questions about the Trojans

-Everything Lincoln Riley said after Wednesday's practice

-Video interviews with USC defensive coaches and players

-Video interviews with USC OL coach Josh Henson and offensive players

-Sights and sounds from practice Wednesday

A photo of 6-foot-7, 320-pound redshirt freshman left tackle Elijah Paige got people talking on Twitter on Wednesday, prompting the official USC football account to chime in on it.

Offensive line coach Josh Henson had to laugh about it too.

"You know, I mean, you kind of – he’s played one game, and you forget he’s a, well, yeah, I guess, a redshirt freshman. And he’s still learning, and still developing, but he’s certainly very talented. And Pat McAfee thinks he’s huge, so ...," Henson said Thursday.

Indeed, Paige certainly looks the part and may be the most intriguing USC offensive tackle prospect since ... Jonah Monheim in 2020? One of the four-stars from the 2017 class (Alijah Vera-Tucker, Andrew Vorhees, etc.)? Even further back?

As Henson noted, Paige made his first start for USC in the Holiday Bowl and head coach Lincoln Riley said at the time it was one of the most impressive performances by a USC offensive lineman all season.

With that, it was already a done deal that Paige's second career start would come at the start of the 2024 season with him locked into and unchallenged in the role.

And Riley and offensive line coach Josh Henson can clearly pinpoint the turning point that set him on this trajectory ...

"I thought about Week 10 or 11 last year," Henson said. "Elijah, he was down with us on our end working as the 2 left tackle, and you know, credit to Coach Riley on this, we were just a little bit frustrated with his progression. We felt like he got to a certain spot, he came along well and then he was just kind of plateaued. And some of those things were just a little bit more physical presence, when you're young learning the intensity that it takes on every play at this level to be good. So [Riley]'s suggestion was, 'Let's send him to scout team.'

"Week 6 or 7, he went to scout team, and he came back Week 10 or 11 and he was a different player. Because down there on scout team, the defensive line's trying to beat you up on every play. And they're trying to bully you and throw you around, and you have two choices -- you can either take it or you can fight and get better and grow. He chose to grow."

Riley echoed that perspective.

"We just said, 'This kid needs to go down there and get beat up a little bit. He does. He needs to go against really good players every day, he needs to be in a little bit of a war every single day, he's got to get tougher, he's got to get more physical, he's got to really learn to compete consistently,'" Riley said. "And what happened, the kid really invested in the offseason with coach [Bennie] Wylie. He was incredibly dedicated. He knew coming in that he was weak and was going to need to put on mass and strength, and he did that and his confidence rose because of that. And then he got on that field and he competed hard every day, and he got beat some days but as the days went on he started winning more and more, and all of a sudden we get to bowl practices and he's over there with us and we're thinking, 'All right, we're going to play this guy' like we did a lot of young guys.

"And we're kind of like, 'Dang, this guy looks a lot different than the last time he was on this offensive field.'"

Riley said getting moved to scout team mid-season is a test of sorts to young players in terms of how they take it.

"He's one of the stories of the guys that handled it well," Riley said. "So many guys think, it's like the world of instant gratification. It's like, 'Oh, I go to the scout team, I'm being demoted or that's a negative thing.' And he had the understanding of, 'No, I'm going over there for a reason. I can go over there and train against some really good players in a really competitive environment every day, and in football that's hard to find. You know, you can't just go find a pickup game somewhere. He saw the value and he had enough self-awareness to know, 'I need this -- you're right, coach. We do need this, I do need this.' And he attacked it and he's a much better player because of it."

Paige said he put on 13-15 pounds since the bowl game while relying heavily on Monheim -- the starter there last season -- to help him adjust to the finer points of the role while growing in his command of the playbook and the confidence that comes with that.

"I'd say mentally -- understanding what we're doing, not just understanding what I'm doing but understanding what's going on in the backfield -- mentally, it's grown," Paige said.

Said Henson: "I think one thing about competing at this level is always pushing yourself to be elite, and that gets really hard sometimes because you're competing more against the man in the mirror than you are against another player. ... That's where his challenge is at now and I think he'll attack that going forward."

With Paige, left guard Emmanuel Pregnon and Monheim at center, the left side of the line is set and stable for the Trojans.

The right side, on the other hand ...