This offseason has been anything but uneventful. Lincoln Riley is rebuilding his offensive line, and he wants DJ Wingfield, a transfer from Purdue, to be his new left guard anchor. But for now, Wingfield sits in NCAA purgatory, hoping for a waiver to play in 2025, granting him another year of eligibility. Everyone assumed Riley and his staff would be sweating bullets, knowing fall camp is weeks away and their projected starter may not take the field.

But recent news on the USC circuit doesn’t appear to be too concerned about it. And if you listen closely to the rumor mill within the program, you’ll hear the coaching staff has already begun game-planning for life after DJ Wingfield. At least early in the season. And the staff is pretty happy with their situation at left guard. “I’ve had real intel. That certain guys were moving and grooving a certain way, and certain guys were going to come along.” Micah Banuelos and Justin Tauanuu are getting a lot of first-team reps in practice.

With DJ Wingfield on shaky ground in terms of his eligibility, all of the hype about USC’s line has turned to the “next men up.” “Michael Banuelos is projected to be a center or a guard,” a USC insider reflected on USCJ LOST IN THA SAUCE PODCAST. “He’s healthy now, and you know. I saw a clip of him in the springtime. Absolutely pancake and a big time guy, a big time defensive lineman guy. And he looks extremely healthy. He looks extremely physical. And I believe that Michael Banuelos is one of those guys, like he kind of waited his turn.” Michael Banuelos is the epitome of a grinder who’s finally getting an opportunity.

Banuelos arrived at USC as a top-ranked recruit. But, early injuries hampered his beginning, making him sit on the sidelines and watch while others received their turns. Now that he’s healthy, the outcomes are evident. In spring drills, Banuelos was a wrecking ball. Flaunting that characteristic physicality by flat-out destroying a top defensive lineman in one highlight that made the rounds among USC fans. The host goes on to say, “Justin was a guy that absolutely moved and grew on the offensive line during the Texas A&M game….he’s a guy that I could absolutely see getting in there at the offensive line, playing that spot, moving and grooving at the left guard spot.”

Justin Tauanuu, the Huntington Beach youngster, turned heads playing in the Texas A&M game, moving bodies and holding his own against some stiff competition. What separates Justin from others is his athleticism for a big guy. His quick footwork allows him to pull and reach linebackers, and he isn’t afraid to get dirty in the trenches. USC’s projected O-line, assuming Wingfield is out, would probably look like Elijah Paige at left tackle, Banuelos or Tauanuu at left guard, Reed at center, Alani Noah at right guard, and Tobias Raymond at right tackle. It’s a risk, sure, but sometimes that’s where players craft the best records.

DJ Wingfield’s fight to suit up for USC

DJ Wingfield’s NCAA eligibility controversy has become one of the most tantalizing off-season storylines at USC. He thought he had a year of eligibility remaining, thanks to a new NCAA waiver for players who had completed at least a season at a non-NCAA school. Keep those junior college stays in mind, like his at El Camino. But the NCAA hasn’t approved. While a similar waiver was issued to his teammate, DeCarlos Nicholson, and other players across the nation, Wingfield’s case has bogged down. The situation became so intense that Wingfield retained attorney Darren Heitner, who specializes in big-time sports cases, to battle for him to play.

The strategy? Sue and pursue an injunction allowing Wingfield to don USC gear this year while the lawsuit takes its course. What makes it all the more dramatic is Wingfield’s meandering college career. After his JUCO stint, he went to New Mexico, where a setback kept him to only one game, and played a full season at Purdue. He even declared for the 2025 NFL Draft before switching gears and moving to USC. Wagering on the NCAA’s new relief of eligibility.