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USC freshman lineman to enter NCAA transfer portal

Erik-McKinneyby:Erik McKinney•12/12/24•

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USC true freshman offensive tackle Kalolo Ta'aga
USC true freshman offensive tackle Kalolo Ta'aga (Erik McKinney/WeAreSC)

True freshman offensive tackle Kalolo Ta’aga announced today that he will leave the USC Trojans and enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

“Thank you, Trojan family, for your unwavering love and support,” Ta’aga wrote. “To my coaches — thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to grow. To my teammates — we are brothers for life! This has been a difficult decision but after a lot of praying and reflection, I have decided to enter the transfer portal.

The 6-foot-7, 315-pound Ta’aga dealt with injuries during his true freshman season and did not see action in any game. He was a three-star recruit in the 2023 class and the nation’s No. 755 overall player and No. 48 offensive tackle. Ta’aga was viewed as a depth piece for the immediate future but someone who could potentially develop into an impactful player at offensive tackle.

USC did sign two four-star tackles in the 2025 class in Alex Payne and Aaron Dunn, and those two will be expected to push quickly into the depth chart.

This is another hit to the USC offensive line in the early part of this transfer portal window. The Trojans will lose senior center Jonah Monheim to the NFL draft and left guard Emmanuel Pregnon is very likely to follow after accepting an invitation to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl. Starting right tackle Mason Murphy has already entered the portal, leaving the Trojans will possibly three positions to fill. Two of the players with good shots to fill them, Gino Quinones and Amos Talalele, already entered the transfer portal. And now another piece for the future is in the portal as well.

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Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

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