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USC Football News: JuJu Smith Excels Despite Thumb Injury

By Alicia de Artola

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USC wide receiver JuJu Smith is still struggling to recover fully from the October thumb injury which had his hand in soft cast for a short while, but that has not stopped him earning praise for his performances during spring camp for the Trojans.

Smith is participating in his first ever spring practice for USC, yet he has emerged as a leader among the receivers largely because of a work ethic that mirrors that of previous Trojan greats Robert Woods and Marqise Lee.

Smith gets compared to the two often and it is a worthy comparison, not just because of the physical gifts all three possess.

Sarkisian did not hold back praising his sophomore wide out after practice Thursday.

“JuJu exudes so much energy,” Sarkisian said. “Every play is the most important play to him. It’s amazing. That’s why he’s a great leader.”

Of course, there is always something to work on and Sarkisian pointed out how Smith needs to learn how to let the game come to him sometimes.

Luckily for the Trojans, Smith continues to make plays and display a natural leadership that Sarkisian attributes to his being an older brother with responsibilities at home.

“I don’t know that I could have predicted the maturity that JuJu has,” Sarkisian said. “He gets what’s important.”

Senior cornerback Kevon Seymour got the better of Smith during Saturday’s practice, earning headlines of his own, but the receiver responded to start the new week.

Smith wasn’t the only receiver who put in an impressive outing either. Steven Mitchell caught two deep touchdown passes, while fullback Soma Vainuku also showed off the ability to go long to end practice.

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