From the moment the Pac-12 got a delayed fall season back on track, USC fans wondered what that would mean for redshirt junior offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker.

Tucker had been the Trojans’ projected starting left tackle before announcing last month he would opt out of any potential season — at the time the thinking was USC wouldn’t be playing until at least January, if at all — so he could turn his focus to preparing for the NFL draft.

USC coach Clay Helton had left the door open for Vera-Tucker to reverse his decision after the Pac-12 announced a Nov. 6/7 start date, and on Tuesday the standout lineman made it official in a video posted to Twitter.

He’s back and the Trojans’ biggest question/concern is now solved.

“The recent announcement that USC is able to play this season has allowed me to reevaluate my situation,” Vera-Tucker said in the video. “The opportunity for me to rejoin my teammates and represent the Trojan family, continue to advance toward my degree and compete for a Pac-12 championship this season is something I could not pass up. I’m eager to lead my teammates down the tunnel of the Coliseum next month and show the college football world that the Trojans are ready to play.”

While Vera-Tucker has his breakout 2019 season as the Trojans’ starting left guard, he was the obvious and clear choice to fill the void at left tackle created when Austin Jackson left early to become a first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins.

USC lost both starting tackles, for that matter, and had no remotely experienced or tested natural tackle to replace them. Jalen McKenzie had filled in some at right tackle last season while primarily starting at right guard, and he projects to slide over to RT full-time this fall.

But without Vera-Tucker, USC would have had to likely move McKenzie to the left side and lean on another converted guard — perhaps Liam Jimmons ot Liam Douglass — on the outside, or try out untested redshirt freshman Jason Rodriguez or one of the new true freshmen, like Courtland Ford or Jonah Monhein.

The USC offensive line still has plenty to prove given that both projected tackles are making the move from inside, but with Vera-Tucker — one of the highest-graded guards nationally by PFF last year — the level of concern and uncertainty decreases greatly.

Trojans offensive line coach Tim Drevno talked about Vera-Tucker’s readiness for that transition in an interview with TrojanSports.com back in June.

“I think the biggest thing with Alijah going out there, I think he's the best offensive lineman right now at USC. He's a very talented guy. We're fortunate that he stayed -- he could have went in last year's draft. Some guys have told me he probably could have been a first rounder or a top second rounder," Drevno said. "I said to myself, 'He's the best offensive lineman we have, let's put him out there [at left tackle].' And in the back of my mind I said, 'This is really going to help his draft stock because people are going to be able to watch him out there, the NFL scouts. Because as a tackle, it's not like you have a sideboard with you. You've got a lot of one-on-one blocks out there, so you can really see his initial quickness and his twitch as he gets off the ball to go pass block."

For his part, Vera-Tucker talked with reporters back in March after the Trojans' only practice of the spring about making the transition.

"The conversations were 'They need me there' and that was it. I want to play there for the team. I think I'm good at left guard, it would be good to work at left tackle for the future," he said then. "The things to work on, just footwork, getting that footwork right at the tackle spot. It's different hand placement sometimes. You're going against faster guys too."

With his return, the offensive line largely falls into place. Redshirt junior Brett Neilon returns as the starting center, McKenzie (another redshirt junior) projects as the right tackle, and the Trojans have some good depth for the two guard spots with Jimmons (a redshirt senior who saw meaningful playing time as a reserve last season while also making two starts at right guard), redshirt junior Andrew Vorhees (a 2018 starter who missed almost all of last season with a foot injury), Douglass (a redshirt sophomore) and redshirt sophomore Justin Dedich (who made two starts at center when Neilon was out) the top returning options.

USC had only one other player publicly opt out of the season, star defensive tackle Jay Tufele, and he told the Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje on Monday that he would stick with his decision to not play and continue to focus on preparing for the NFL.