Tag: Justin Dedich

Justin Dedich, one of the top centers in the nation, deserves more respect

Justin Dedich is improbably being underrated by a lot of people. He can send a message this season.

With three losses up front for one of the best offensive lines in the nation, USC needed an anchor for 2023. Justin Dedich will be the captain and will switch back to playing center for USC this season.

The offensive line will most likely feature Florida transfer tackle Michael Tarquin, Jonah Monheim, Wyoming transfer Emmanuel Pregnon, and Washington State transfer Jarrett Kingston. Mason Murphy and Gino Quinones will be among the reserves.

Dedich led all Power Five guards with a 90 pass-blocking grade last year. The redshirt senior had the most pass-blocking snaps in the country without allowing a sack or hit this season (528).

Dedich started 13 games for USC last season. He played 10 games at right guard and three at left guard.

Pro Football Focus gave Dedich the seventh overall offensive grade among USC players who played at least 100 snaps in 2022. His pass blocking grade was the second-best among Trojan offensive linemen, behind Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman Andrew Voorhees.

The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Dedich was a highly-touted prospect at the position in 2018, rated the No. 65 overall prospect and the No. 1 center via the 247Sports rankings.

I project Dedich will be a late Day 3 pick in the 2024 NFL draft and will go as high as the fourth round with his versatility, high IQ, and experience up front. The Temecula (Calif.) native is currently expected to go in Round 7 or as a UDFA.

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USC’s Justin Dedich snubbed in All-Pac-12 First Team selections

Dedich is unquestionably an elite O-lineman. He has a point to prove after being left off the preseason All – #Pac12 First Team. #USC

The reality was and is obvious: Justin Dedich is an elite offensive lineman. He was part of a strong starting five which — when healthy — was part of a Star Wars offense. He helped Caleb Williams win the Heisman Trophy. He helped USC win 11 games with a deficient defense. Notably and crucially within the context of this discussion, his injury against Oregon State coincided with USC’s worst offensive performance of the season.

By any measurement, Dedich was as good as it gets in the Pac-12 last year among offensive linemen. He chose to come back for a 2023 season.

This should have been an absolute slam-dunk choice for preseason All-Pac-12 First Team offensive lineman in 2023.

Nope. Dedich was relegated to the second team, one of the more conspicuous snubs of the All-Pac-12 preseason selections.

USC fans and insiders know this was one of the more jarring revelations from the All-Pac-12 teams, but they also know it’s a great way to crush any inclinations toward complacency or overconfidence heading into the Trojans’ last Pac-12 season.

If people in the Pac-12 are going to doubt Justin Dedich, he and his fellow USC offensive linemen will have a response to that on the field this fall.

Dedich will have the final say, not anyone else.

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Justin Dedich announces he will return to USC for 2023, huge boost for Trojans’ O-line

This is absolutely enormous news for #USC. The Trojans have their starting center and can build depth around Justin Dedich. The O-line just got a lot better.

USC Trojan team captain and starting offensive lineman Justin Dedich is returning for next season and will play center in 2023.

The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Dedich was a highly touted prospect at the position in 2018, rated the No. 65 overall prospect and the No. 1 center via the 247Sports rankings.

Justin Dedich has primarily played guard throughout his USC career, but he stepped into the starting lineup at center to replace an injured Brett Neilon at various times in 2019, 2020 and 2022. Dedich finished the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah at center when Neilon suffered an injury. He then started the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic versus Tulane at center as well.

Dedich brings back plenty of experience, having played in 35 games with 20 starts in his career.

Left guard Andrew Voorhees and center Brett Neilon were both All-Americans in 2022. They have both moved on to the NFL, and Bobby Haskins has as well, so there is a void for the Trojans on the O-line. protecting Caleb Williams is a must for USC to win, but the Trojans have some very talented replacements coming in.

Dedich staying is huge, given that USC retains a dependable lineman and won’t be squeezed nearly as much. The Trojans have more depth and quality and can create more options now.

The Trojans landed two veterans, former Florida right tackle Michael Tarquin and former Washington State lineman Jarrett Kingston, and are looking to do more damage through the portal in the 2023 offseason.

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USC offensive line spots will change in Cotton Bowl with Brett Neilon out due to injury

#USC OL coach Josh Henson will have Justin Dedich changing positions on the Trojans’ offensive front for the #CottonBowl vs. Tulane.

The injury to center Brett Neilon means that USC offensive line coach Josh Henson must once again reshuffle the Trojans’ offensive front for the 2023 Cotton Bowl against Tulane.

Who will replace Neilon at center? We have an answer: Justin Dedich, who will move from right guard to play center.

He talked to Chris Trevino of 247Sports:

“Brett is a great center. He had a great career here. I love him so much, just a great leader, and definitely going to miss his leadership on the field,” said Dedich. “But I am moving to center. Excited for the opportunity, the position I came in playing so I’m excited to go back.

USC offensive lineman thanks the man who improved his career

The man who changed the trajectory of this year’s #USC offensive line coaches for Washington State. Justin Dedich made sure to thank Clay McGuire before Saturday’s game.

It was heartwarming to see this before Saturday’s game between USC and Washington State: Justin Dedich went up to Clay McGuire and gave him a warm embrace.

Remember Clay McGuire? He’s the man who was hired by Clay Helton to coach USC’s offensive line for the 2021 season. Helton fired Tim Drevno at the end of the 2020 season and replaced him with McGuire. The rationale was obvious and correct: If USC was going to run the Air Raid under offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, it needed to have a man who coached offensive line play within the Air Raid system. McGuire did that at Washington State.

Let’s take note of how McGuire helped Dedich and the USC offensive line:

USC captains are set for 2022 season

USC needs leadership everywhere, but a few focal points will obviously become central figures in the locker room and on the practice field.

The USC Trojans need leaders throughout the roster, but naturally, a few central figures will set the tone for the rest of the locker room. Offensive lineman Justin Dedich, quarterback Caleb Williams, linebacker Shane Lee, and defensive lineman Tuli Tuipulotu were voted team captains by their peers, Trojan head coach Lincoln Riley announced Tuesday.

Justin Dedich and Tuli Tuipulotu have a combined six seasons of experience with the Trojans. They are the veterans, the elder statesmen of the team. Dedich became a rotational backup offensive lineman during the 2021 season and ended up starting the Trojans’ final four games at left guard.  Tuipulotu was one of the Trojans’ best defensive players in 2021. He was named to multiple All-Pac-12 first teams after recording 48 tackles and starting every game as a sophomore.

Lee and Williams haven’t appeared in live games as Trojans yet (that changes on Saturday versus Rice), but Lee (from Alabama) and Williams (Oklahoma) are two of the most talented players on this squad. They will be expected to make a big impact on both sides of the ball.

“The team pretty clearly looks at those four as the guys they want to represent them. It’s a big honor for those guys. That’s something that none of them take lightly.”

These USC captains will get a chance to show off the new and improved team on Sept. 3 this Saturday versus Rice.

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