Mason Murphy – Syndication Server

Auburn guard Jeremiah Wright announces return to Auburn football

Wright is set to return after taking over the right guard slot on Auburn’s offensive line in 2024.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] received great news Monday as he looks to construct his 2025 roster.

[autotag]Jeremiah Wright[/autotag], who took over as the Tigers’ starting right guard in 2024, announced Monday that he will return to the team for his fourth season.

Wright is no stranger to seeing time on the offensive line by participating in over 1,200 snaps over the last three seasons. He took over as the Tigers’ starting right guard in 2024, allowing just nine quarterback pressures in 418 opportunities according to Pro Football Focus. Among the pressures were six hurries and two sacks.

As a freshman in 2022, Wright participated in 234 snaps over seven games at left guard, making one start on Auburn’s road trip to Ole Miss. He made the move to right guard for his sophomore season in 2023, where he split time with [autotag]Kam Stutts[/autotag]. Wright saw action in 11 games and totaled 308 snaps.

With the return of Wright, Auburn will return four linemen from its 2024 season including [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag], [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag], and [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag]. Freeze will look to fill the right tackle position left vacant by outgoing transfer Percy Lewis with either Virginia Tech transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] or USC transfer [autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag]. Both transfers bring a wealth of experience to the Tigers’ front.

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Auburn loses experienced offensive lineman to the transfer portal

OT Percy Lewis is leaving Auburn after one season.

Several college football players across the country are making late decisions to enter the transfer portal ahead of Dec. 28’s cutoff, including one experienced offensive lineman.

[autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag], who transferred to Auburn from Mississippi State ahead of the 2024 season, is re-entering the transfer portal after spending one season on the Plains.

Lewis participated in 308 snaps at left tackle this season for the Tigers, making five starts. However, his play time was cut drastically in the second half of the season as he managed to play just 27 snaps over the final six games. [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] saw a majority of snaps at left tackle (379) this season.

Wade is set to return to the team in 2025. Auburn also added former Virginia Tech tackle [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] and former USC tackle [autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag] from the transfer portal, thus producing a challenging road for Lewis to earn a starting position at either tackle position.

Lewis departs Auburn after appearing in 10 games during the 2024 season. He allowed eight total quarterback pressures, which resulted in four sacks and three additional quarterback hurries. He is the second offensive lineman from the 2024 season to enter the transfer portal, joining [autotag]EJ Harris[/autotag].

Lincoln Riley announces offensive line updates before Las Vegas Bowl

There is a lot of reshuffling for an undermanned USC offensive line in the Las Vegas Bowl. Lincoln Riley announced which players will start.

When the USC Trojans take on Texas A&M Friday night in the Las Vegas Bowl, they will have two new starters along the offensive line.

At his pre-bowl press conference on Thursday, head coach Lincoln Riley confirmed that NFL-bound redshirt senior offensive lineman Jonah Monheim will opt out of the game. Redshirt sophomore Killian O’Connor will start in his place.

In addition, Riley announced that redshirt freshman Tobias Raymond will start at right tackle. Raymond will step in for redshirt junior Mason Murphy, who recently entered the transfer portal.

The Las Vegas Bowl will also mark the first game as offensive line coach for Zach Hanson. Hanson previously coached USC’s tight ends, but will move to offensive line following the departure of Josh Henson for Purdue.

Kickoff of the Las Vegas Bowl between USC and Texas A&M is set for 7:30 p.m. Pacific time Friday night. The game will air on ESPN television.

Jury is still out on how much transfer portal losses will hurt USC

The overall net effect of various losses in the transfer portal is an unresolved question. Can Zach Hanson and other staffers make up the difference?

Over the past month, USC football has endured a lot of losses in the transfer portal. Among them, former USC defensive lineman Sam Greene committed to Kentucky. As it turns out, he will not be the only Trojan headed to an SEC school next season. Joining him in the South next season will be former USC offensive lineman Mason Murphy. After appearing in every game for the Trojans over the past three seasons, Murphy recently announced he will play his final season of college football at Auburn.

The Tigers will host the Wildcats on November 1 next season. After going up against each other in practice the best two seasons, Murphy and Greene will have a chance to battle it out in game action.

The loss of Murphy is a notable one for an offensive line that struggled mightily at times in 2024. Although USC shuffled several different O-line rotations, Murphy remained a constant, starting all 12 games at right tackle.

Having to rebuild the unit will present a major challenge for new offensive line coach Zach Hanson. However, Hanson did get some very good news when he learned that offensive guard Emmanuel Pregnon will be returning for his final season of eligibility in 2025.

Losing Mason Murphy could be seen as a deficit for USC, but given that Murphy made some key mistakes in 2024, the jury is still out on how severe a loss this actually is. If Zach Hanson can build a better offensive line in the transfer portal and do things Josh Henson could not, USC might still come out ahead. Much remains to be seen about the final composition of the 2025 USC offensive line.

Auburn adds LSU transfer LB Xavier Atkins

Atkins played in five games at LSU during the 2024 season.

Auburn boosted its roster Wednesday by adding a linebacker with SEC experience.

[autotag]Xavier Atkins[/autotag], a linebacker from Humble, Texas, announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday after spending his true freshman season at LSU. Atkins signed with LSU as the No. 25 linebacker from the 2024 class according to 247Sports composite rankings, choosing the Bayou Bengals over Texas A&M.

In his debut season in Baton Rouge, Atkins appeared in five games where he logged 31 snaps, mostly at middle linebacker. Atkins recorded three tackles with two quarterback pressures.

Atkins is the 10th transfer player to commit to Auburn since the winter transfer portal window opened on Dec. 6. He is the fourth defensive player to commit to the Tigers this cycle, joining cornerback [autotag]Raion Strader[/autotag] (Miami University), defensive lineman Dallas Walker (Western Kentucky), and safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] (Georgia Tech).

According to 247Sports, Atkins is Auburn’s No. 8 incoming transfer. Virginia Tech offensive line transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] takes the top spot, followed by USC OL transfer [autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], Miami (Ohio) cornerback Raidon Strader, and Oklahoma quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Auburn adds former USC tackle Mason Murphy from transfer portal

Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire sheds light on what Auburn fans can expect from Murphy following his commitment.

Auburn fans woke Tuesday to the news that an experienced offensive lineman would join.

[autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], a 22-game starter for the USC Trojans at right tackle, announced his commitment to Auburn on Tuesday morning. His commitment is welcomed as head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] are searching for a replacement at right tackle for the outgoing [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag].

What exactly is Auburn getting in Murphy? We asked Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire for insight on Murphy’s time in Los Angeles, and he delivered.

Murphy started all 12 of USC’s games this season, with his best game coming in the Trojans’ 42-20 win over Rutgers on Oct. 25. Pro Football Focus graded his performance 81.0 overall, with an 83.6 in pass blocking. However, he failed to grade above 71.0 in his remaining 11 starts, which caused frustration among the USC fanbase according to Zemek.

“Maybe (Thornton) can create improvements from Murphy, but USC fans winced (and probably yelled with anger) when Murphy made key mistakes which kneecapped the Trojans in 2024,” Zemek said.

Several of Murphy’s mistakes included losing a block against Minnesota on Oct. 5, which forced a momentum-swinging interception that led to a Trojan loss. Murphy also committed four false start penalties in USC’s loss to Washington on Nov. 2.

However, Zemek feels Murphy could become a high-level player with great coaching.

“To be fair to Auburn, USC offensive line coach Josh Henson has not done a good job with the Trojans,” Zemek said. “If Auburn thinks it can coach Murphy better than Henson did at USC, this could all work out. If that was the thought process behind this pickup, it makes sense. Just beware: Mason Murphy was not part of the solution at USC.”

Last season, Izavion Miller earned a grade of 64.4 from Pro Football Focus after allowing 17 pressures with four sacks in 570 snaps at right tackle. However, two key linemen: [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] and [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag], were graded above 70 for the season.

Murphy will compete alongside Virginia Tech transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] for the role of Auburn’s starting right tackle this spring. Chaplin committed to Auburn Monday after starting 25 games at left tackle for the Hokies over the last two seasons.

USC loses starting offensive lineman to transfer portal

Mason Murphy goes to the transfer portal, adding to the uncertainties surrounding USC’s offensive line for 2025.

On Monday, USC football starting offensive lineman Mason Murphy became the latest Trojan to enter the NCAA transfer portal.

After redshirting his first year on campus in 2021, Murphy has appeared in every game for the Trojans over the past three seasons. In 2024, he started all 12 regular season contests at right tackle.

Much like the rest of USC’s offensive line, Murphy’s 2024 season was a bit of a rocky affair. His PFF grade for the season was 55.5, according to 247Sports.

Murphy was set to be USC’s most experienced returner on the offensive line in 2025. Now, with him hitting the portal and both Jonah Monheim and Emmanuel Pregnon moving on to the NFL, the Trojans will return just two starters from the struggling unit: Alani Noa and Elijah Paige.

Prior to this year, Lincoln Riley had expressed hesitancy to building an offensive line through the transfer portal. But given the current state of USC’s room, it appears he will not have much of a choice. The Trojans will need to go out and acquire some serious talent at the position if they want to have any shot at competing in the Big Ten next season.

Plain and simple, the Trojans have not recruited well enough at offensive line under Riley and Josh Henson. The majority of USC’s best offensive linemen of the past few years—Andrew Vorhees, Brett Neilon, Justin Dedich, and Monheim—have all been holdovers from the Clay Helton era.

While Riley and Henson have hit on a few transfers—namely Bobby Haskins and Pregnon—there have been far more whiffs than hits. Until that changes, with both transfers and high school recruits, the Trojans are not going to be serious contenders.

Is the USC Trojans’ offensive line ready for LSU’s pass rush?

USC’s offensive line has to make sure Miller Moss has time to find open receivers against LSU.

USC football offensive line coach Josh Henson has an early opportunity to silence criticism of the poor performance of the 2023 Trojan offensive line. Henson’s first really big test of 2024 arrives quickly, when the Men of Troy play the LSU Tigers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in Week 1 of the college football season. LSU Wire recently discussed if the Tigers in Baton Rouge could replicate coordinator Blake Baker’s attacking pass rush last year at Missouri.

In 2023, Missouri’s defense under Blake Baker ranked No. 8 nationally in sack rate. Arriving at LSU along with Baker was defensive ends coach Kevin Peoples, who was a key to Missouri’s elite pass rush last fall.

Baker and Peoples will look to achieve similar numbers at LSU, but whether the Tigers can reach that mark in 2024 remains a question.

Bradyn Swinson proved to be a valuable defender down the stretch, but he needs to put it together over the course of an entire season. A promising breakout candidate is former five-star Da’Shawn Womack as he enters his sophomore year.

With LSU’s liability at corner and thin depth on the interior defensive line, the pass rush needs to be strength of this defense.

USC fans are confident about the emerging combination of Emmanuel Pregnon and Elijah Page. They are excited to see how the Trojans’ Swiss Army Knife on the offensive line, Jonah Monheim, will perform in leading his younger but skilled teammates. On the right side of the line it will all come down to consistency, and offensive line coach Josh Henson has made it clear that the guard who can lock down that stability on the right side will be the guy. Last year’s early season injuries and off season roster issues thrust Alani Noa into a starting role early on. If Noa can establish cohesion in his sophomore year with Mason Murphy, another skilled lineman who has struggled to maintain consistency, the Trojans’ offensive line should see significant improvement.

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USC’s Mason Murphy would start at right tackle if season began today

Mason Murphy must continue to develop for this USC offensive line to come together.

Mason Murphy faces a defining season at USC. Trojans Wire asked Lincoln Riley about how the right side of the USC offensive line is shaping up in spring camp. Everyone expects the left side and center to be set with veteran Jonah Monheim moving inside to center. Emmanuel Pregnon will remain the left guard. Elijah Paige, coming off that solid start in the Holiday Bowl, is penciled in at left tackle. Murphy fits in elsewhere.

Here’s how Riley answered our question about the right side of the 2024 USC offensive front:

“The right side, we’re working Alani (Noa), we’re working Amos (Talalele). When Gino (Quinones) gets back, we’ll certainly work Gino some at the guard position,” Riley told us. “Right tackle it’s mostly (Mason) Murphy. (He) has taken the majority of the reps with the ones right now. If we play today, he would certainly be the starter, no question about it.”

Being the starter and playing at the expected standard, however, are two different things. One thing to watch for as spring ball continues: Are guys being projected as starters because they are dominating on the field, or more because their competitors for jobs aren’t performing as well as hoped? The reason for certain guys being elevated above others needs to be the product of positive — not negative — developments. That’s something to monitor as spring practices continue.

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Lincoln Riley challenges veterans on USC offensive line to step up in 2024

Lincoln Riley needs Emmanuel Pregnon to evolve and perform this year.

USC’s offensive line room never quite came together as a unit in 2023. I asked Lincoln Riley during his weekly press conference on Saturday about the offensive line’s play last year. He said there were games when the unit struggled and lost: UCLA, Notre Dame, and Oregon.

“Yeah, we had a we had a handful of games last year we didn’t play good enough you know, handful of the games that we lost,” answered Riley. He clarified the games were at Notre Dame and at home against Washington and UCLA. “We certainly didn’t play good enough in those games to win. We had some good moments but we were too inconsistent.”

The problems with the line started before the season kicked off. USC had to replace two huge pieces who anchored the veteran unit in 2022, All-America left guard Andrew Vorhees and multi-year starter Brett Neilon at center. USC had luck in 2022 bringing in Bobby Haskins as a grad transfer from Virginia to help shore up the line.

The hope was to slide Justin Dedich over from right guard to center in 2023 and bring in players from the portal. It began to fall apart when second-team All-SEC selection Ethan White, who transferred from Florida, suffered an injury which kept him from joining USC. He medically retired before he arrived on campus.

Riley went on to explain what went wrong last year, with the Trojans’ offensive line never coming together as a cohesive unit.

“I would agree, I don’t know that we ever completely gelled as a unit. I think it starts with your your older players. Your older guys, your leaders have got to play their best; they’ve got to be great leaders: they’ve got to set the tone. I think at times last year that did not necessarily happen all the time.

“So you know there’s obviously Jonah [Monheim], you’re talking about [Emmanuel] Pregnon — some of the guys that have now played some snaps for us. Mason Murphy, you need those guys to step up.”

Veterans will need to step up. The members of the 2023 class, who were true freshmen last year, are looking for leadership while competing for playing time this fall. During a press conference, Riley named all five offensive linemen from that class: Micah Banuelos, Elijah Paige, Alani Noa, Amos Talalele, and Tobias Raymond. Riley is relying on his upperclassmen’s consistent leadership to bring this group together.

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