As a walk-on in 2022, now redshirt junior Kilian O’Connor wasn’t sure what his future as a Trojan would hold, but he did know one thing: He would do everything he could to get his opportunity on the field.

“I came here to be a player,” O’Connor said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “I didn’t come here just to be a bag holder.”

After earning his first start for USC in last year’s 35-31 win at the Las Vegas Bowl due to at-the-time senior starting center Jonah Monheim preparing for the NFL Draft, O’Connor’s odds were looking up. That is, until Head Coach Lincoln Riley brought in one of the most experienced centers in the portal, redshirt senior J’Onre Reed, who was immediately the expected starter.

Despite having one start in Division I to Reed’s 25 at Syracuse, Riley on Tuesday announced O’Connor as the starter for Saturday’s season opener against Missouri State University, calling him the “most consistent player” of the options. Riley said Reed will still play a big part on the offensive line.

“That was, and has been, and continues to be, a good battle. I’m sure it will go on all year,” Riley said in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. “For us it’s, right now, trying to get the best five on the field.”

O’Connor said Tuesday that earning the spot was a “tremendous honor,” especially over Reed, who he said has helped him develop over the offseason.

“I’ve been able to bounce off him,” O’Connor said of Reed. “He does a lot of things really well and at a really high level. I’ve learned a lot of technique stuff from him and just a lot of preparation stuff from him as well.” 

Walk-ons in the family

O’Connor is carrying on the tradition, as his father, Michael, who walked on and started four seasons on Akron University’s offensive line. His grandfather, John, walked on at Dayton University.

O’Connor said his grandfather — who died on the same day O’Connor sustained an injury during a dominant 48-0 win over Utah State University last season — was “as tough as it gets” and a role model for him growing up. He said if his grandfather was alive, he would’ve told him to “be consistent” and “control what you can control,” two pieces of advice O’Connor has taken to heart.

Before earning a starting job, O’Connor spent most of his first three seasons with the Trojans as a member of the special teams unit and appeared in 15 games on the offensive line.

“Just because you start as a walk-on doesn’t mean you have to finish there,” O’Connor said. “It’s a seat at the table at the end of the day. I’m forever grateful for that seat. Now it’s time to eat.”

‘He commands the room’

At 6-foot-1, 291-pounds, O’Connor acknowledged that he is slightly undersized for a college center, but he said it can play to his advantage due to giving him leverage by being closer to the ground. He also said emphasizing his mental game and preparation allows him to play into his strengths and block against anyone.

“Kilian does everything the right way,” Reed said of O’Connor in July according to 247 Sports. “He shows up on time. He’s in the right place at the right time. He commands the room. I look up to him, and I’m older than him. That’s because I respect what he’s done.”

According to 247, redshirt sophomore guard Micah Banuelos said O’Connor was a “mastermind” on the offensive line and redshirt sophomore guard Tobias Raymond called him the “mind of the o-line.”

Redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava said having O’Connor as his starting center is a “true blessing,” in a post-practice news conference Tuesday. 

“He does a lot of great things,” Maiava said. “He stays present in the moment and does a great job getting IDs wherever we need them.”