Keenyi Pepe

Physical Profile

Listed at 6-7, 320 lbs. Taller than 75% and heavier than 87% of 2026 Offensive Tackle prospects in the SEC Scouts database (182 with a listed size).

Play Style

Pepe is a pass-protection-first left tackle. He uses his length to set a wide rush perimeter and makes edge rushers take the long way around him. When his hands land first he controls blocks well and can steer rushers past the quarterback. In the run game he is at his best on drive and down blocks, where his size can move defenders. He is a better fit for a scheme that lets him be the bigger, longer player than for one that asks him to reach-block quicker defenders in space. His play strength and tendency to rise out of his stance are still being developed at the college level, and that is his biggest current limitation.

Strengths

• Elite length and frame for the blind side: at 6-7 and around 325, he has the reach to keep speed rushers off his chest and the size to anchor against power
• Tested against top competition: he started at left tackle as an IMG junior against a national schedule and faced Power 4 defensive linemen every day in practice, so his high ranking is not built on weak opponents
• Versatile and ready early: USC gave him spring 2026 reps at both left and right tackle, which makes him a natural swing tackle and suggests the staff trusts his mental processing
• Maturity: he picked USC early and shut his recruitment down right away, graduated a semester early, and joined a program where his older brother Kobe plays defensive tackle, a structure that tends to speed up a young player's adjustment

Areas to Improve

• Play strength against college power: 18-year-old tackles usually give ground against grown defensive ends who bull rush. He needs a year of strength work to build a lower-body anchor and hand strength that match his frame
• Keeping good technique at his size: tall tackles can play with high pad level and lean or overset against inside counter moves. Consistent knee bend, a patient set, and timing his hands against veteran pass rushers are his main technical to-dos
• Run-game reps at the college level: IMG's talent edge meant he could win on physical ability alone. Against Big Ten defensive fronts he will need sharper footwork on combination and reach blocks and better finishing mechanics

College Projection

He is a true freshman at USC in 2026. USC returned essentially its whole starting offensive line, including two-year starting left tackle Elijah Paige. That makes 2026 a developmental year: he is most likely a swing tackle and depth piece, and a four-game redshirt is a real possibility. Outlets including ESPN and Yahoo listed him among the Big Ten freshmen most likely to make an early impact, so he could see meaningful snaps if injuries hit the tackle group. I could not verify his actual 2026 snap counts through late September. His realistic target is to compete for a starting job, most likely at left tackle, as a redshirt freshman or sophomore in 2027. After that he projects as a multi-year starter.

NFL Outlook

He has first-round tools. Six-foot-seven, 320-plus-pound tackles with five-star, top-five national rankings and early Power 4 exposure are exactly what the NFL drafts at the top of round one. His draft ceiling depends on producing on tape as a two-year starter in the Big Ten. If he fixes his play strength and pad-level consistency, he projects as a Day 1 pick at the end of his third year (2028 draft eligibility). The risk is typical for elite tackle prospects: if he doesn't get stronger, he could slide toward a Day 2 grade or be projected at right tackle.

Best Fit

USC under Lincoln Riley is a strong fit. Riley's spread offense relies on a franchise left tackle who can handle pass protection one-on-one, and Pepe's length suits that job. A zone-and-gap mix that uses his size on down blocks and double teams, together with a patient strength program, gets the most out of his skills. That is what USC is currently giving him by developing him behind a veteran line instead of rushing him into the lineup.