We’re in the rarified air of the highest spots on our list of the 30 most important Trojans for 2025. These are players whose absence would impact the Trojan season in such a way USC would have a very difficult time recovering. This is the top criteria we’ve used to compile this list. Last season reminded the Trojans and their fans just how crucial the line of scrimmage is to a winning football team. We expect Year 2 of Big Ten play to be just as physical and to put just as much onus on the USC players up front. It’s why every projected starting offensive lineman (and some reserves) made this list. It’s also why the group’s top player, left tackle Elijah Paige, is No. 3 on this year’s list.
*** Breakdown of Top 30 Most Important USC Players for 2025: Considerations for rankings take in a wide range of factors including depth, 2024 stats, overall talent, departures from last season, projected development and expectations. But the most important factor for placement on the list was if this player was lost, how detrimental would it be to the team and the overall success of the season.
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 325 pounds
Hometown: Phoenix (Ariz.)
High School: Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle
247Sports Composite HS ranking: 4-star (2023)
– No. 223 nationally
– No. 18 offensive tackle
– No. 3 in state of Arizona
Top 30 Most Important 2024 Ranking: No. 4
2025 OUTLOOK
(Photo: Shotgun Spratling | USCfootball.com)
Paige cut his teeth as a full-time starter against a very challenging Big Ten slate. The nadir of course was the Michigan game when he slumped so badly the coaches took him out of the game and never brought him back. Paige earned a staggering 0.0 pass-block grade from Pro Football Focus against the Wolverines after he allowed four first-half pressures (one sack, two hits and one hurry) in 25 pass-block snaps.
The Michigan game was also a start of run-block issues for Paige. Starting with the Wolverines, PFF graded Paige’s run blocking below the 60.0 scoring launch point for four straight games. The bottom line is Paige illustrated during the first half of the season why teams don’t like starting young players on the offensive line. During the second half of the season, he showed why teams love starting players with his talent. Paige settled down and reeled off four-straight games with overall grades of 70.0 or higher. He scored an NFL-draft worthy 90.8 in USC’s win over Nebraska. Against the Cornhuskers, he put up a clean sheet in pass pro. It was a feat he duplicated the following week against UCLA. Overall, his grades dipped a bit against the Bruins and against Notre Dame. Then he got injured just five snaps into the Las Vegas Bowl against Texas A&M.
Add it all up and Paige finished with a modest 65.4 overall season grade.
The great news for 2025 is USC gets a player with that season under his belt. Paige knew more would be asked of him this past spring.
“Honestly, just leadership, bringing the guys up that are around me, and taking on that role that Jonah had last year,” Paige said of his added duties.
This is a season for Paige to spring forward. USC has a new combination up front with transfers DJ Wingfield (potentially) and J’Onre Reed set to join Paige, Alani Noa and the winner of the right tackle competition between Tobias Raymond and Justin Tauanuu. There were certainly growing pains for the Trojan offensive line over 15 spring practices against an improved USC defensive front.
USC is counting on Paige to anchor the blindside for quarterback Jayden Maiava. It’s one of a handful of non-negotiables the Trojans need to have a good season.
WHY NO. 3?
Paige plays the second-most important offensive position and is the most-talented lineman on the offensive two-deep. USC has developed good numbers in the offensive line room, so the current younger players shouldn’t be pressed into a big role like Paige was last season. That said, the Trojans don’t want to have to contemplate what a game or season without Paige would look like. Time and again we go back to the replaceability factor, and Paige scores in that category higher than all but two Trojans in 2025.
WHAT SAY YOU?
LAST YEAR’S NO. 3
No player paid a higher price physically or personally for Paige and the offensive line’s struggles than quarterback Miller Moss. Moss had to absorb the consequences of Paige’s performances against Michigan and Penn State, when the Trojan left tackle earned a cringe-worthy 38.7 pass-block grade against the Nittany Lions.
Moss finished the season with a 64.4 percent completion rate and 18 touchdown passes against nine interceptions. Pro Football Focus graded Moss out with a very strong 78.5 overall grade especially in the context of USC’s situation last season. Nevertheless, Lincoln Riley handed Jayden Maiava the starting quarterback job after calling 51 passing plays in the rain against an elite secondary in the Trojans’ loss at Washington. The move effectively ended Moss’ USC career. The fifth-year senior transferred to Louisville after a transfer recruitment that included Michigan and multiple other 2024 USC opponents.
Post Fall Camp Re-rank No. 3: Elijah Paige
THE LIST
No. 4 – Quarterback Jayden Maiava
No. 5 – Wide receiver Makai Lemon
No. 6 – Defensive lineman Keeshawn Silver
No. 7 – Offensive lineman J’Onre Reed
No. 8 – Wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane
No. 9 – Running back Waymond Jordan
No. 10 – Offensive lineman DJ Wingfield
No. 11 – Linebacker Desman Stephens II
No. 12 – Offensive lineman Alani Noa
No. 13 – Cornerback DJ Harvey
No. 14 – Defensive end Kameryn Fountain
No. 15 – Defensive lineman Devan Thompkins
No. 16 – Defensive end Anthony Lucas
No. 17 – Defensive lineman Jamaal Jarrett
No. 18 – Safety Bishop Fitzgerald
No. 19 – Offensive lineman Tobias Raymond
No. 20 – Defensive end Braylan Shelby
No. 21 – Cornerback DeCarlos Nicholson
No. 22 – Running back Eli Sanders
No. 23 – Cornerback Chasen Johnson
No. 24 – Offensive lineman Justin Tauanuu
No. 25 – Defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart
No. 26 – Safety Christian Pierce
No. 27 – Wide receiver Prince Strachan
No. 28 – Safety Kennedy Urlacher
No. 29 – Kicker Caden Chittenden
No. 30 – Defensive back Prophet Brown
First Five Out