Former Notre Dame commit looks to upend Irish as a prominent performer for the USC Trojans
If you think back to the 2023 recruiting class, one of the more interesting former commits for Notre Dame was offensive tackle Elijah Paige. The two sides weren’t linked for very long, but that didn’t stop the Arizona standout from opting for the Irish. It ended up being an impulsive move, seeing Paid eventually flip […]
If you think back to the 2023 recruiting class, one of the more interesting former commits for Notre Dame was offensive tackle Elijah Paige. The two sides weren’t linked for very long, but that didn’t stop the Arizona standout from opting for the Irish. It ended up being an impulsive move, seeing Paid eventually flip to USC.
Just over a year and a half later since that signing day, Paige is now the starting left tackle for the Trojans. The 6-7, 320-pound lineman has started to come into his own down the stretch of the season after some early struggles. Paige was always a very talented player, but as is the case with most young offensive linemen, development was needed.
On Tuesday, Paige spoke to the media about the challenge that Notre Dame presents. It is obviously a really interesting matchup for him considering his background with the Fighting Irish, and he’s looking forward to another rivalry week.
“They’re super talented guys,” Paige told the media. “We are going to have to just work our technique and trust it. It’s just excitement. We had UCLA last week obviously, so that was awesome. Now we have another rival in back-to-back weeks so it’s just excitement truly.”
Despite the losses of pass rushers Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore, the Notre Dame defensive line has been outstanding for the better part of this season. Paige will have 1-on-1 opportunities against the likes of Joshua Burnham, RJ Oben, and Bryce Young among others. Add in Rylie Mills, Donovan Hinish, Gabriel Rubio, and potentially Howard Cross, and it should be a difficult challenge.
As an offense, this Trojan unit has been very, very inconsistent. They have a load of talent, but Notre Dame clearly has an advantage on paper. USC is averaging 429.7 yards per game, but just 29.3 points per game.
Any time you are playing against a Lincoln Riley offense, you need to prepare. Players like Woody Marks and Zachariah Branch are major threats if you give them a chance to make plays, especially if Paige and the offensive line come to play.
