shoulder injury

Before he arrived at USC, Micah Banuelos was already pretty accustomed to playing through pain. As a standout offensive and defensive lineman at Kennedy Catholic High in Washington, his shoulder would pop out of its socket during almost every game. So Banuelos would check out, have his shoulder popped back in and then reenter the game like nothing changed.

“Then,” his father, Roy Banuelos, says, “he never said anything about it after.”

But when that shoulder injury lingered past high school and into his freshman season, there was no ignoring it anymore. Just weeks into his first fall at USC, the staff suggested Banuelos get surgery.

It would be a while before Banuelos made his way back — and even longer still before he’d be competing for a real role on USC’s offensive line. The shoulder injury robbed him of the following spring, then a knee issue nixed his second season after just a few games. But at the start of his third fall at USC, Banuelos has finally entered the mix at guard, a position at which USC is perilously unproven.

If a federal judge doesn’t grant an injunction Monday to transfer lineman DJ Wingfield in his lawsuit against the NCAA, then Banuelos will be one of many vying for the opening he leaves behind up front. Banuelos has taken considerable snaps through camp with the first-team offensive line, while redshirt freshmen Hayden Treter and Makai Saina and walk-on Kaylon Miller have also factored into the competition.

It’s the first time that USC coach Lincoln Riley has really gotten an extended look at Banuelos, despite the fact that he’s entering his third season in L.A.

“He was probably somebody we knew the least about, just because he was hurt so much,” Riley said. “He’s getting a ton of reps right now, and so far, he’s just carrying on from that. He has a lot of power. He can really move people. He can really play behind his hips. There’s a lot to like about what he does, and if he stays healthy, he’s really going to turn into a good player.”

Riley had similar praise for Treter, who has also dealt with injuries since coming to USC. The coach called Treter “one of the highlights of camp.”

The Trojans entered the offseason in need of more consistency from their offensive line, especially with a relatively new starting quarterback in Jayden Maiava.

The competition at USC’s open guard spot remains one of the closest battles on the team with just over two weeks remaining until its season opener. Even Alani Noa, who started 12 of USC’s 13 games, hasn’t been assured of a starting spot.

That uncertainty up front might be nerve-racking to some. Riley and offensive coordinator Luke Huard insist they don’t see it that way.

Huard said he feels “really, really good” about the current state of the offensive line, while Riley said he feels “much better” now about the depth at the position than he did in spring.

“Some of that young depth coming along, we needed that to happen,” Riley said. “Their ascent is important not just for this year, but for the future.”

It’s just as critical at offensive tackle, too, where redshirt freshman Justin Tauanuu has made his own case to be a part of USC’s starting front. It’s possible that he slots in at right tackle, while Tobias Raymond, the projected starter there, kicks into guard to fill the void left by Wingfield.

But coaches and teammates like what they’ve seen out of Banuelos.

“You can tell when a guy just wants to be out there and treats every day like his last,” left tackle Elijah Paige said. “He’s putting it all out here.”

For a while, Banuelos could only wait for his shoulder — and then his knee — to heal. That part was excruciating, his father says, stuck in place as others made moves up the depth chart.

“He was pretty down,” Roy Banuelos said. “I would call him and just tell him, ‘It’s OK, man. You’ll get your time. It’ll come.’”

Now, with USC in desperate need of someone stepping up at guard, that time may finally have arrived.

“All he wanted to do was play football,” Roy Banuelos said. “So his attitude now — it’s night and day.”

Tarheeb Still said his farewells and was ready to leave for a three-day weekend. On a Thursday this offseason, the second-year cornerback told Ben Herbert, the Chargers’ executive director of player personnel, that he would “see him Monday.”

A deep voice in the background suddenly changed Still’s schedule.

“Why aren’t you coming in tomorrow?” Khalil Mack asked the 22-year-old.

Motivated by Mack’s example, Still is poised for a breakout season as he competes for a larger role in a stacked secondary group. The former fifth-round pick who started 12 games as a rookie has been working with the 34-year-old, nine-time Pro Bowl selection every Friday, picking Mack’s brain on football and life.

No wonder why Still “seems like he’s a different person,” defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale said.

“I love when you see young players run towards great players, greatness and not the other direction,” Clinkscale said. “It’s awesome to mimic their habits and what they do, especially their good habits, and Tarheeb has really done that. He’s really grown up and matured.”

Still was already working with Herbert from Monday through Thursday, but soon added Fridays with Mack. They begin their strength training around 9 a.m. together, but Still knows Mack gets to the facility earlier in the training room. There’s no way Mack could have built his Hall of Fame-worthy career without putting in every ounce of extra work.

“Khalil is just showing me how to be intentional,” Still said. “Every day, taking advantage of small incremental gains every day to get to where I want to be.”

The Chargers progressed to the next step of their offseason program Tuesday, opening organized team activities. The sight of offense and defense lining up against each other for the first time during the offseason brought excitement to the facility, but frustration for Cam Hart. The second-year cornerback, who, like Still, was drafted in the fifth round last year, is not yet fully cleared after undergoing shoulder surgery in January.

Hart sustained a torn labrum against the Houston Texans in the playoffs, but said he expects to be cleared to return around mandatory minicamp, which begins June 10.

The shoulder injury was a punctuation mark on a promising, but injury-riddled rookie year for Hart. Despite making six starts in 14 appearances with 37 tackles, Hart also battled two concussions and an ankle injury. The injuries tormented Hart as he went through the offseason program, rehabbing twice a day since the shoulder injury.

Chargers cornerback Cam Hart speaks during a news conference in El Segundo on Tuesday.

(Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Associated Press)

“I showed a small percentage of who Cam can be in the NFL last year,” Hart said. “With 17 healthy games, I think I got a lot more to show.”

Although they return most of their top performers from last year’s secondary that ranked seventh in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game compared to 30th in 2023, the Chargers have renewed competition at cornerback without Kristian Fulton and Asante Samuel Jr. Fulton parlayed a resurgent season with the Chargers into a multi-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent, and Samuel remains a free agent after a shoulder injury limited the former second-round pick to just four games last year.

Wanting to bolster the secondary with more size and speed, the Chargers brought in free agents Benjamin St-Juste and Donte Jackson. The 6-foot-3 St-Juste started in 42 of his 45 appearances for the Washington Commanders in the last three seasons, and Jackson, an eight-year NFL veteran, is coming off a career-best five interceptions with the Pittsburgh Steelers last year. Still and Hart, who were rookies hoping to make any positive impact a year ago, are now “the cream of the crop,” Clinkscale said.

The newest crop of rookies even flashed their potential Tuesday as seventh-round selection Trikweze Bridges and undrafted free agent Jaylen Jones each got an interception during the no-contact 11-on-11 periods.

The secondary depth could cause headaches for Clinkscale. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Nobody has a spot,” Clinkscale said. “We want to see who’s going to earn it.”

With more than three months remaining until the Chargers open their season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Still knew he had to dial back the competition Tuesday during practice. The drills are still meant to be non-contact during the voluntary sessions. Keeping everyone on their feet and healthy was more important than breaking up a pass or grabbing an interception, Still said.

Still was attached to receiver Ladd McConkey’s hip on a deep route down the sideline, but didn’t dive or reach for the ball to breakup a slightly underthrown pass from quarterback Justin Herbert. McConkey’s tightrope catch drew cheers from his teammates.

Still said the no-contact periods were perfect opportunities to hone his technique, but when asked if he would have picked off the pass intended for McConkey, Still covered his face.

“No comment,” he said, trying to hide his smile.

The confident look on his face was comment enough.