LOS ANGELES — When USC began its summer weight lifting, guard Justin Dedich asked to change groups for the off-season, so that he was paired with redshirt freshman Mason Murphy.
Dedich, and the rest of the veteran offensive linemen at USC, had identified something in Murphy. They all wanted to help guide him to become the player they believed he was capable of being. So Dedich wanted to be in Murphy’s ear and set an example during the summer workouts.
On Saturday, Murphy got his first chance to showcase to the public what has made his teammates so confident in him. The 6-foot-6 lineman got his first career start at right tackle and allowed just three pressures in 50 pass-blocking snaps.
“Mason Murphy’s a talented kid. Probably the most talented in our room,” Dedich said after the 45-38 win over Arizona. “We all had confidence that he was going to do the job and he did.”
Murphy was a three-star prospect when he arrived at USC last season out of JSerra. As a true freshman, he did not see the field before foot surgery eliminated any chance of him getting some playing time.
But the many veterans in USC’s offensive line room and the new coaching staff saw something in Murphy. Talent, absolutely, though they needed to help him mature to be ready for a moment.
“I give Mason credit, he’s followed. We’ve been hard on him,” head coach Lincoln Riley said. “He’s got some real talent, he’s really got a chance to be a good player, but he’s needed to grow up and mature and really kind of press forward.”
Added starting tackle Jonah Monheim, “We were all trying to get on him every day to get him to do the right things, to take every day each day at a time and prove every day. Because he’s a super talented guy. If does the right thing day in and day out, the sky’s the limit for him.”
Murphy was thrown into the fire in Week 3 against Fresno State. An injury to left tackle Bobby Haskins forced him into action, and Murphy was immediately beat off the line.
But when an injury to Andrew Vorhees caused some shuffling to the line ahead of the Arizona game, it was Murphy who was pegged to start at right tackle.
“Just let it fly,” was the advice Murphy received from Monheim, who started seven games as a redshirt freshman. “We knew he was ready. Obviously Coach [Josh] Henson believed in him to make the start and everything. Just go out there and don’t hesitate. You’re good enough, all of that, you prepared well enough. Just let it fly, let it rip.”
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The USC offensive line is going to undergo a major transition after this season. Vorhees, Haskins and center Brett Neilon all will graduate. Dedich will have a decision to make about his future. So that’s at least three, potentially four, open starting jobs.
But Murphy has proven that he should be ready for the limelight when his name is called.
“Mason’s willingness to kind of push through and get better was great, and then Mason’s a competitive guy,” Riley said. “Some guys kind of rise up on game day, some guys kind of cower down a little bit. The moment certainly wasn’t too big. He was ready to go in and compete.”
Injury report
Riley said that all players held out against Arizona due to injury — WR Jordan Addison (leg), RUSH Korey Foreman (undisclosed), LB Eric Gentry (ankle), LB Ralen Goforth (hand), LG Andrew Vorhees (undisclosed) and WR Mario Williams (undisclosed) — participated in some form at practice Tuesday and have a chance to play Saturday against Cal.