Already poised to turn over most of its offensive line, USC now will have to replace its offensive coach as well.
Josh Henson, who spent the last three seasons leading USC’s offensive line, is leaving to become the offensive coordinator at Purdue, a person familiar with the decision told The Times. While he technically carried the same title at USC, at Purdue, he’ll step into a larger play-calling role for new Boilermakers coach Barry Odom, who previously coached alongside Henson at Missouri.
Henson’s three seasons make him the longest tenured offensive line coach at USC in a decade. But his tenure leading the Trojans front will be remembered as a largely uneven one. After a strong showing in 2022, behind a veteran line, USC’s front took a step back in 2023, then struggled to start the 2024 season, before steadying in the second half of the season.
His departure leaves USC’s offensive line in an even more uncertain state, with three starters to replace and not a lot of depth from which to choose their replacements. Left guard Emmanuel Pregnon and center Jonah Monheim are off to the NFL, while right tackle Mason Murphy has already signed with Auburn as a transfer. Two key reserves on the interior, Gino Quinones and Amos Talalele, have also already entered the transfer portal, along with freshman Kalolo Ta’aga.
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More could potentially follow in light of Henson’s departure, putting USC in a precarious position ahead of its bowl game on Dec. 27, with just a few available backups behind a patchwork line. Aside from its two returning starters, Elijah Paige and Alani Noa, the entirety of its returning offensive line corps has just 161 snaps between them, more than half of which belong to offensive tackle Tobias Raymond (86).
Paige, whose presence is now vitally important, assured last week that he planned to stay at USC. But that was prior to Henson’s exit on Tuesday.
“I committed here because I see coach Riley’s vision,” Paige said. “I believe in it. I trust it. I’m a part of it.”
Those plans have already been tested over the last week, as 18 players, four of them linemen, hit the transfer portal. USC will get some reinforcements soon enough, after signing four offensive linemen during the early signing window, including two top-150 tackles. But the Trojans are also expected to target several linemen in the transfer portal.
That wasn’t the path that Riley and Henson had hoped to follow, when they outlined their plans for the offensive line last fall. Then, both made clear they hoped to rely on high school recruiting as their primary focus up front.
But plans have since changed. Henson is now on his way to Purdue. And Riley is left to hire an offensive line coach, with a whole offensive line still left to rebuild after that.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.