LOS ANGELES — In July, Josh Henson made it clear: It was time to get his young guys ready.

Since Henson arrived at USC, the program had stacked offensive line classes behind the scenes, working a variety of youngsters on second-team and scout reps in hope of moving away from transfer-portal fill-ins. In Henson’s first two years as offensive line coach, raw on seasoning, offensive linemen he’d recruited started just two games — Alani Noa in 2023’s Week 1, Elijah Paige in 2023’s bowl game.

This past fall, all signs indicated, was the year Henson’s development needed to pay off.

“That’s why they call us coach, that’s why the guys came here, that’s why we recruited them here,” Henson said at USC’s preseason media day in late July. “So, yeah, we’ve got to make all those things happen.”

After an up-and-down start, punctuated by a matchup mauled in the trenches by Michigan that Paige called “not a good one at all” in December, Paige and Noa acquitted themselves well in showing rapid growth as starters this fall. Now, in the span of a month, the former underclassmen have become the elder statesmen in USC’s room.

Thought it was time for those young guys to get ready in 2024? It’s really time in 2025. USC has little other choice.

Center Jonah Monheim is gone to the NFL draft, possibly ending the lineage of homegrown centers passing down the baton in Riley’s program, from Brett Neilon to Justin Dedich to Monheim. Starting left guard Emmanuel Pregnon and right tackle Mason Murphy are gone to the portal. Henson, even, is gone to an offensive coordinator job at Purdue, with former tight ends coach Zach Hanson sliding over in his place. As presently constructed, backup center Kilian O’Connor is the only upperclassman set to return in the room.

USC has imported Purdue transfer DJ Wingfield, and seems intent on finishing the winter portal with another add, with Syracuse transfer center J’Onre Reed visiting campus Tuesday. Regardless, the current state of USC’s front will require a slew of Henson’s former recruits to keep taking offseason leaps.

As the first transfer-portal window has wrapped — exceptions are possible — here’s a full breakdown of the movement on USC’s offensive line entering spring, the third in a six-part series examining the post-portal scholarship outlook for every part of the roster.

Offensive line

Returning: Micah Banuelos, Fr.; Kaylon Miller, Fr.; Jack Susnjar, Fr.; Erwin Taomi, So.; Kilian O’Connor, Jr.; Hayden Treter, Fr.; Elijah Paige, Fr.; Tobias Raymond, Fr.; Justin Tauanuu, Fr.; Alani Noa, So.; Makai Saina, Fr.;

Arriving: Alex Payne (Georgia); Aaron Dunn (Utah); Elijah Vaikona (Santa Margarita); Willi Wascher (Washington); DJ Wingfield, Sr. (portal, Purdue)

Departing: Kalolo Ta’aga, Fr. (portal, Utah); Gino Quinones, Sr. (portal, Fresno State); Emmanuel Pregnon, Sr. (portal, unknown); Amos Talalele, Fr. (portal, Kansas State); Mason Murphy, Jr. (portal, Auburn); Jonah Monheim, Sr.

Top questions

Can Paige take a leap? His results between 2024’s first and second half were night and day: 19 pressures surrendered in his first six games, just nine in his last six. But USC’s starting left tackle went down early in the Las Vegas Bowl with what ESPN’s broadcast reported as a left ankle injury, and was carted off in a troubling sign. If he’s limited at all entering spring ball, it’ll set an already-green USC offensive line back, trying to jell without one of its leaders.

So, uh, who plays, and where? The answer, it appears, is blowing in the wind. Paige and Noa are entrenched as starters. Raymond saw some snaps in 2024 and started the bowl game at right tackle, with mixed results. Tauanuu did an admirable job in a tough spot against Texas A&M, filling in for Paige at LT; it’s possible he and Raymond battle for a starting RT spot. Wingfield could work there after a strong 2023 season playing right tackle for New Mexico before starting at guard for Purdue in 2024.