LOS ANGELES — It was a momentous start, a surprise responsibility to help protect the best quarterback in college football suddenly dropped in the lap of a true freshman. And so before Alani Noa’s first USC start on Saturday at left guard against San Jose State, he consulted captain Justin Dedich, the senior center smiling at the memory.

“He’s like, ‘Are you nervous at all, before the game?’” Dedich told reporters postgame Saturday. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, little bit! But you’ll be all right, big dog. It’s all part of it.’”

It was a move that spoke to the coaching staff’s trust in Noa, a freshman from Grant High in Sacramento who has drawn effusive praise from Coach Lincoln Riley and a wide variety of vets on USC’s front. He’d improved rapidly and “shown consistency like a veteran,” as Riley said, and has earned respect for his discipline.

“That kid, he’s really physical,” senior Gino Quinones said. “Once he gets down to play, he’s gonna be really dangerous. Really dangerous.”

It was also a move, however, that spoke to a major theme throughout USC’s start this fall season: the offensive line competition, which was discussed from the first weeks of camp and appears no closer to its resolution.

Noa started Saturday, yes, but returning lineman Emmanuel Pregnon cycled in frequently, playing just two fewer snaps at guard by the end of the fourth quarter. And the Trojans’ offensive line pulled off a sort of Cupid Shuffle on Saturday – Dedich (at center) and Jonah Monheim (left tackle) the only linemen to play all 53 snaps, with six more all playing roughly in the same range. The starting five, ultimately, hardly mattered against San Jose State.

“People have not separated themselves at practice yet,” offensive line coach Josh Henson said. “So it’s kind of like – we’re going on Round 13 of a championship bout, and one judge scores it 155 to 153, the next judge 152 to 155 – I don’t know who won. Everybody thinks a different guy won.”

“So I’m just waiting for somebody to quit throwing body blows,” Henson said, “and throw some knockout punches.”

And to Henson’s assessment: per Pro Football Focus’ player grade system, no one Trojan offensive lineman truly separated themselves in terms of blocking quality. Quinones emerged as the Round 12 winner of sorts Saturday, earning the highest grade – a solid 74.5 – narrowly over tackle Jonah Monheim’s 73.5.

“He’s been one of our five most consistent players … made himself a really key, valuable member of our offensive line,” Riley said of Quinones on Tuesday.

So, assuming Dedich is entrenched at center and Monheim and Quinones each fill a tackle and a guard slot – that leaves Noa versus Pregnon for another guard spot, and an ongoing battle between redshirt sophomore Mason Murphy and Florida transfer Michael Tarquin at the other tackle.

Riley said Tuesday, after heavy rotations against San Jose State, that “I don’t know if we’ll plan to use that many” against Nevada – but that shuffling would continue if competitions continued. Hence:

“We’re probably in the same mode for this next game,” Henson said Wednesday.

On to Round 13.

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