Tag: Justin Dedich

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.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz8sj88pxak7gd player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=44775]