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One of the key questions coming into USC's fall camp was whether redshirt freshman Jonah Monheim would get a true opportunity to compete for the right tackle job with veteran incumbent Jalen McKenzie.
During the first practice Friday, it was status quo across the offensive line, with McKenzie taking the first-team reps and Monheim at second-team right tackle.
But on Saturday, there was Monheim with the first-team ... at left tackle.
"I’m always ready to compete and be the guy. I’m excited," Monheim said afterward. "Coaches are letting us compete, they're letting us have fun, try out different rotations and crosstrain us, so it’s a great opportunity to compete."
Offensive line coach Clay McGuire emphasized that last word -- compete. He said he plans to mix things up along the line through the first part of camp and get looks at different alignments, while noting that he believes the Trojans have three offensive tackles capable of starting in Monheim, McKenzie and redshirt freshman Courtland Ford, who has been the projected starting left tackle after occupying that spot most of spring. Ford worked at second-team right tackle on Saturday.
"We got an open competition right now with the starting offensive line and our goal is by the time we hit that mock [game] week is to have our starting five," McGuire said.
He then confirmed that he does consider both tackle jobs to be wide open.
"I do. Yeah, I do. I think we've got three really solid tackles right now, and I think all three of them could start and play at a really high level, so the trick for us is really to figure out which of the two are the best ones," he said. "And still that third one is going to deserve playing time no matter what. So it's a good problem to have, but we've got to continue developing those guys, and like I said, by the time we hit San Jose State we'll figure that out."
There's no need to belabor the point, but McKenzie struggled at right tackle last season -- after starting at right guard in 2019 -- and that's part of the reason there has been so much preseason buzz for Monheim, one of only two four-star offensive linemen the Trojans have signed in the last two recruiting classes.
The other part of the reason is that the 6-foot-5, 295-pound second-year tackle is making the most of his opportunity.
Even though the Trojans are not able to be in full pads yet and thus there's only so much one can evaluate from line play in that setting, Monheim stood out Saturday. In one series of note going up against budding star defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu, Monheim kept his side of the pocket clean and one rep held off the pass rusher a little longer than normal, allowing quarterback Kedon Slovis the time to connect with Gary Bryant Jr. for a deep completion down the right sideline.
It wasn't a perfect performance -- he did hold outside linebacker Hunter Echols on one play after Echols got a step on him around the edge -- but there is a lot to like about Monheim's potential, both in the long-term and to make an impact this season.
"I think [it's his] confidence more than anything, and a lot of it has to do with knowing the offense, getting comfortable with the offense, knowing his assignment and knowing he belongs," offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. "When that's the case, you play with a lot of confidence and I think that's what he's done. Every time he's out there he just continues to play at a high level, and when you do that, like I said, you just keep growing and growing and growing in confidence."
Monheim concurred with that assessment
"I think so, I think it’s confidence, it’s mental processing. I felt a jump in spring and I’m hoping to keep building on that right now," he said. "I think that just comes from mental processing, being in the scheme, understanding defensive schemes. Big part of it, my coach is preparing me."
Monheim played almost exclusively at right tackle during the spring -- McGuire says he got some reps at left tackle, perhaps during one of the practices closed to media -- so the move Saturday was surprising. But it shouldn't cast any reflection on Ford, who got the majority of first-team reps at left tackle in the spring and opened camp there on Monday. He too looks like a future foundation piece for the Trojans' offensive line and one of the more underrated recruits from the 2020 class as a 3-star prospect.
Ford didn't seem fazed by the the rotation on Saturday.
"I love it. It’s motivation," Ford said of the competition this camp. "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."
McGuire also reiterated that moving Monheim to first-team left tackle wasn't a reaction to anything -- just part of the plan for the first part of camp.
"It's one of those things we kind of had a plan how we were going to rotate these guys through camp to try to figure out," he said. "It's kind of like a matrix every now and then trying to figure out this rotation. But as we kind of get through the first week, we'll start being able to solidify maybe keeping him on one side or the other side, but just wanted an opportunity for him to go with the 1s and he went out there and did a great job today."
That change was the most significant note to come out of the Trojans' second practice, but there were many more observations and takeaways to be had ...
Our top takeaways ...
First of all, we should note that USC amended its media guidelines for preseason camp. Reporters are now allowed to report on what they see during the full practice (not just the first 50 minutes as was the case Friday), with exception to formations and specific alignments and other things that would normally be off-limits.
...
So, with that said, we can now tell you about redshirt sophomore Kyle Ford's impressive one-handed catch deep down the sideline during the first practice Friday. (USC also posted the highlight -- it comes 8 seconds into this clip package.)
"It felt really special because obviously that was my first day coming to practice," said Ford, who missed most of the last two seasons with separate ACL tears. "It was press coverage and I kind of felt like the ball was coming to me and it was up in the air and I just kind of reacted really, just threw a hand up there and I just let it take over from there. Not too much thought on it."
Ford is one of the most interesting storylines in camp -- a former top-100 national prospect coming off those two ACL surgeries trying to reassert himself within a crowded receiver depth chart. The coaches have said he will get work both in the slot and on the outside.
