Trojans' Kilian O'Connor and Elijah Paige ruled out for remainder of season

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The injury-riddled USC Trojans have been bitten by the injury bug once more, this time permanently, as starting center Kilian O'Connor and starting offensive lineman Elijah Paige have been ruled out with injuries for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Trojans Head Coach Lincoln Riley announced via Zoom on Friday morning that Paige underwent a procedure and will be out for the remainder of the season. Riley then announced that O'Connor will not play in the season finale against cross-town rival UCLA Bruins and insinuated that he will undergo a procedure as well.

O'Connor's knee injury flared up in the Trojans' loss against Illinois and had become a recurring theme for the USC starting center. J’Onre Reed would step up in place of O'Connor, but he, as well, was dealing with an unknown injury as the calendar turned to November.

O'Connor would find himself back on the offensive line, trying to shake off the rust with the more snaps he played, but the final blow to his knee occurred in the Trojans' recent loss to Oregon in the first quarter, when he was hit by multiple players from behind. He would exit the game and return to the sideline in street clothes.

Paige has been dealing with a lower-body injury since the Trojans played Michigan way back in Week 4. After missing some crucial games in that stretch, Paige would return when USC traveled to Lincoln to play the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Since then, Paige would be on and off between starts before coach Riley announced that he would be ruled out for the remainder of the season after undergoing a procedure.

With the Trojans' offensive line already stretched to its absolute thinnest, USC will be looking to notch one more victory by any means necessary before their season concludes at the Coliseum.