Pat McAfee accuses college football star of being ‘AI edit’ and gasps ‘he’s 8ft’ after being spotted in USC training
COLLEGE football star Elijah Paige has left ESPN's Pat McAfee speechless.
The giant USC Trojans left tackle went viral after towering over his teammates in a recent training video.
Paige is officially listed by the program as 6-foot-7 and tips the scales at 320 pounds.
He enrolled at USC in the spring of 2023 after graduating a semester early from high school in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Trojans freshman will compete for snaps on the offensive line in the upcoming season.
Former NFL star McAfee was in awe of the left tackle's height as Paige joined teammates for practice on Wednesday.
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Paige strode onto the field alongside his coaches and teammate Josiah Zamora, towering over the 5-foot-8 receiver.
"This has to be an AI edit.. is that an 8’ tall man?" gasped McAfee on X.
The video has since been viewed over 1 million times, with fans now eager to see Paige in action.
"Just put the QB right behind him & GO," laughed one fan in response to the clip.
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"No way bro is only 6’7," gasped another.
"I was wondering where The Mountain from Game of Thrones went to? Mystery solved," joked a third.
"The next All-American left tackle out of USC.." predicted a fourth.
Paige enters 2024 as one of the most important pieces on USC’s roster.
The tackle has put on 10 pounds this offseason, per the Daily Breeze.
"I definitely do have that confidence in myself," Paige said at USC’s preseason media day.
"I know that I’m ready."
Pat McAfee's playing days
Pat McAfee enjoyed a hugely successful stint before switching to a career in the media.
The talk show star played punter in the NFL for eight seasons from 2009 to 2016.
He was a seventh round NFL Draft pick in 2009 out of West Virginia and spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts.
The ex-punter was named to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2016, and he was a first team All-Pro in 2014, as well.
McAfee owns the unique NFL record of the highest career net average punting yards with 41.4 yards while his longest ever punt was 74.
The Trojans begin the upcoming 2024 season on September 1 against the Louisiana State Tigers.
McAfee will be following his progress on College GameDay, with the ESPN analyst returning to the show for a second-straight season.
To open up the college football season, GameDay will travel to Ireland for the College Football Classic between Florida State and Georgia Tech.
The Pat McAfee Show will travel alongside College GameDay to cover the game.
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"Breaking news, our show will be live in Dublin," McAfee revealed on Wednesday.
You can catch McAfee on ESPN and YouTube every weekday from 12 pm Eastern.