As USC's offensive line struggles, Josh Henson's recruiting isn't measuring up

We can all see that USC football needs better offensive linemen. It’s more than that, too. USC needs experienced offensive linemen. Many of these current offensive linemen are struggling not because they lack the talent or size to play the position, but because they are young and frankly need some time to develop and learn. That’s part of the problem, though: Why hasn’t USC, under Josh Henson, been able to fill specific spots with transfer portal veterans who can play well? Emmanuel Pregnon has been solid this season, but it took him two years to finally settle in at USC. The ideal portal pickup is ready to shine from the start. Bobby Haskins was an example of an ideal offensive line portal addition which becomes a crucial piece on a largely successful team.

Josh Henson was not able to land that really big fish — that polished, veteran offensive lineman — in the transfer portal in the 2024 offseason. That being the case, he needed to recruit at a higher level to offset that deficiency. He hasn’t. Given the need to bring in higher-caliber offensive linemen, you would think Henson would be extra attentive to the need to do his homework and make sure he is reaching out in a timely way to players who might consider USC.

In at least one case, Henson is falling short:

USC football fans have to be losing their minds right now. There’s an offensive lineman who has dreamed of becoming a Trojan but is not being courted heavily by Josh Henson. Sounds like a real missed opportunity. This is simply not what USC can afford at a point in time when the offensive line is costing this team wins on the field. Josh Henson is not doing himself any favors.

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