Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley said he was “at a loss for words” when asked about inconsistent court rulings regarding the NCAA’s five-year rule just days after USC’s presumed starting left guard was denied a preliminary injunction, likely making him unavailable this season.

“For it to come down to what state that you’re in, it makes no sense,” Riley said in an Aug. 21 virtual news conference. “It’s sad that it’s gotten to this point, to be completely honest.”

DJ Wingfield, 24, was expected to be a much-needed veteran piece of USC’s rebuilding offensive line before his eligibility waiver request was denied in a United States District Court in California on Aug. 18. The Trojans had already lost three of their five starters from last season to either the NFL Draft or transfer portal.

Wingfield was hoping to use his fourth year of eligibility this season, six years after beginning his college football career at a community college in 2019. The NCAA normally requires players to use all four years of eligibility in five years, but recent decisions, including one involving Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, led Wingfield and USC to believe the waiver would be approved, according to his lawsuit.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge James Selna deferred to a decision made by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2019, saying the NCAA’s eligibility requirements do not need to pass “antitrust scrutiny” — a major part of Wingfield’s plea. Selna also denied similar bids from UCLA wide receiver Kaedin Robinson and University of San Diego linebacker Jagger Giles.

West Virginia court grants waivers

However, just two days after a judge denied Wingfield’s waiver, a U.S. district judge in West Virginia made the opposite ruling in the case of four West Virginia University players, saying the five-year rule was subject to antitrust rules, prompting Riley’s response.

“I hate it, not just for DJ, but for all the different guys,” Riley said. “It’s just hard for me to fathom why we wouldn’t do the right thing and have a blanket waiver.”

In a statement, the NCAA wrote that the West Virginia decision “erodes” academic standards aimed at making sure players earn an education and hurts high schoolers’ chances of playing football in college.

“The NCAA and its member schools are making changes to deliver more benefits to student-athletes, but the patchwork of state laws and differing court opinions are why partnering with Congress is essential to provide stability for all college athletes,” the statement read.

Riley said the variability in decisions was “not a good look for college football” and blamed “indecision” for the issue. Riley expressed his support for Wingfield, who also lost a $210,000 name, image and likeness deal with the waiver denial, and said it was good to see him attend practice on Aug. 20 despite not being able to play for the team.

“I surely hope that we get it right, because these kids don’t get do-overs,” Riley said.

What will Riley’s line look like now?

Two veterans of last year’s line, redshirt sophomore left tackle Elijah Paige and junior right guard Alani Noa, are sure starters in Saturday’s season-opener against Missouri State University, Riley said on Trojans Live on Monday.

Both Paige and Noa started at least 12 of 13 games for the Trojans last season, helping the offense to a No. 23 rank in the nation and second in the Big Ten. Paige, who made the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team last season, will return to his spot, while Noa has switched sides after playing left guard last season.

Wingfield, who started 12 games for Purdue last season and had previously played at the University of New Mexico, would have brought another experienced player to the table and helped the Trojans’ depth. However, on Monday, Riley said the line had mostly solidified ahead of USC’s opener.

Riley said two “likely starters” are redshirt sophomore Tobias Raymond at left guard and redshirt freshman Justin Tauanuu at right tackle. Both the more-experienced Raymond as well as Tauanuu, who appeared in three games for USC last season, earned praise from Riley for their positional flexibility, which has been key to replacing Wingfield’s production.

While Raymond began as the presumed starting right tackle after appearing in 13 games for the Trojans last season, he has since switched positions after Wingfield appeared unlikely to return. In an Aug. 19 news conference, Raymond said he felt like he had been “doing well” in his new spot.

“He’s not afraid to try different things,” said Offensive Line Coach Zach Hanson according to the Los Angeles Times. “A lot of guys get hesitant to do that. But he’s a pro at his craft.”

On Tuesday, Riley named redshirt junior Kilian O’Connor as the team’s starting center, calling him “the most consistent player” of the options. While redshirt senior J’Onre Reed, who started 25 games over the last two seasons at Syracuse, seemed like a likely starter heading into camp, Riley said he will still play a big part on the line.

Redshirt sophomore Micah Banuelos and redshirt freshman Kaylon Miller are “right there on the edge” of starting and will likely see some play time according to Riley.

USC’s season will kick off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in a game against Missouri State at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.