USC announces Toa Lobendahn as offensive graduate assistant
The new additions keep coming for USC this offseason, as the Trojans announced Toa Lobendahn as an offensive graduate assistant on Friday afternoon.
Lobendahn was a four-year starter at four different positions along the USC offensive line from 2014-2018, and came to USC as a four-star prospect out of La Habra High School.
He signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2019.
Lobendahn's father, Vince Lobendahn, is a longtime high school and junior college coach, so it's unsurprising that he would look to begin a coaching career himself. Lobendahn's mental understanding of every position of the offensive line was never questioned. He began his USC career at left guard before finishing his true freshman season as the starter at left tackle. In 2015, he started the first five games at right guard and the next two at center before tearing knee ligaments. He missed nearly the entire 2016 season due to injury, then started all but one game of the 2017 season at left tackle, when he was named second-team All-Pac-12 and took home USC's Chris Carlisle Courage Award and USC's Co-Lifter of the Year Award.
Lobendahn was named a team captain going into the 2018 season.
Lobendahn came to USC as part of the same recruiting class as Viane Talamaivao, who has served as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line the past two seasons. NCAA rules limit graduate assistants to just two years in the role.
Stanton Keane was named an offensive graduate assistant last spring and would have another year remaining in the role. Aaron Williams served as a defensive graduate assistant last season, also his first year in the role.
Former USC linebacker Michael Hutchings previously served two years as a graduate assistant on the defensive side of the ball, but has moved into a defensive quality control analyst role.
