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Woodland Hills, - June 08:Rams Keagen Trost (79) at Rams practice on Monday, June 8, 2026. (Photo by David Crane/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Among the Los Angeles Rams’ many offensive stars, don’t be surprised if a rookie takes some of the spotlight from them. Especially don’t be shocked if that first-year player sees the field at some point this season.
Los Angeles took offensive tackle Keagen Trost with the No. 93 pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft. His time in college was full of versatility and challenges that he took head-on. He didn’t back down from any role, and don’t expect that to change at the professional level.
It’s that mindset that will likely earn him playing time at some point in 2026. After all, Trost hasn’t made it all this way to sit on the sidelines.
Rough beginning to college career before earning All-SEC honors
For many people, college is the time of their lives. That wasn’t the case for Trost, at least initially.
Like many players at the collegiate level, including fellow Rams draft mate CJ Daniels, he made a lot of pit stops before landing in the pros. Much of that is due to the transfer portal, but other factors also contribute to a player wanting to leave.
Trost spent the first few seasons of his college career at the FCS level. He began at Morgan State and didn’t last there long, appearing in only four games before deciding to transfer to Indiana State after the season. The move to the Hoosier State was looking to be a bust as well, considering the Sycamores’ 2020 campaign was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ultimately, Trost spent three more seasons at Indiana State, playing in 21 games from 2021-23, with injuries limiting his time on the field. Eventually, he made a big boy move and jumped from the FCS to the FBS to play for Wake Forest.
During the 2024 season, he played in all 12 games for the Demon Deacons, tallying 766 snaps along the offensive line and special teams. He played a season-high 80 snaps in a 46-36 loss to California and posted a streak of 60 or more snaps in four straight games.
Unfortunately, Trost didn’t taste much success in his first year at the FBS level, as Wake Forest finished 4-8 and longtime head coach Dave Clawson stepped down after the season. It was time for Trost to move on again. With no disrespect intended towards the ACC — or maybe there was, who knows — he wanted to transfer to a Big Ten or SEC school, as they would best prepare him for the pros. This was something he had discussed during the NFL scouting combine.
Missouri was the choice, and the decision certainly didn’t put him in misery.
Immediately after moving to Columbia, Trost had some sizable holes to fill. He was tasked with replacing Armand Membou, Mizzou’s star right tackle, in 2023 and 2024. Membou was selected seventh overall in the 2025 NFL draft and started all 17 games while anchoring the line for New York.
Rather than back down from the challenge, Trost quickly won the starting job in training camp and became one of the highest-graded offensive linemen in the country, according to Pro Football Focus. Rams.com Senior Staff Writer Stu Jackson noted that PFF gave Trost a 91.7 run blocking grade, which ranked first among 632 qualified offensive tackles, and a pass blocking efficiency of 99.1 (3rd).
After starting all 13 games for an 8-5 Mizzou team, he earned first-team All-SEC honors. The successful transition to the Tigers program and replacing Membou was something that impressed head coach Eliah Drinkwitz:
As for a little friendly competition between linemen, if you will, Membou only earned second-team All-SEC honors in his final season with the Tigers.
Take that as you will, Turf Show Ramily.
Keagen Trost will inevitably see the field for the Rams in 2026
To echo the statement in the subheading, Trost could very well see the field for the Rams this season.
We’ve seen over the last few years that NFL teams are more willing to take chances on older and more experienced players coming out of college. Bo Nix with the Broncos is the best recent example of a player who spent at least five years at the collegiate level and navigated a rapid transition to the pros.
Trost is 25 and spent seven years in college as a super SUPER senior, so theoretically, all that experience should help ease his transition to the pros. While it might not land him significant playing time right away, his versatility as a lineman will prove valuable soon enough.
While at Indiana State, he filled in at both right tackle and left guard. That will be especially needed as L.A. had entered the 2026 NFL draft needing some depth behind Alaric Jackson, Warren McClendon and David Quessenberry. Trost spoke about his versatile skill set shortly after the Rams selected him in the third round.
Additionally, Trost’s willingness to transfer to an SEC program shows that he is well-equipped for the NFL level. The reason is that he is the type of player who is willing to push and challenge himself. He’s plenty versatile for a variety of reasons, yet filling in at different positions will make him a valuable asset to the Rams’ offense sooner rather than later.
We’ll likely have to wait until preseason to fully see what Trost can do. As previously mentioned, don’t be surprised if he becomes an unexpected standout this summer once the Rams kick off training camp and joint practices. If it’s any consolation, Turf Show Times’ own Kenneth Arthur believes Trost could be the closest to seeing the field among new players on offense. Guess we’ll soon see whether that prediction indeed comes true.
Until then, in Keagen we Trost.
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