USC Football Injury Report: Hope to get hurt Trojans back in Dallas (12/18)

Velus Jones Jr., Oluwole Betiku and Jalen Greene joined the injury list on Monday as USC Football’s Cotton Bowl prep continued. Here’s the full injury report.

USC Football’s second week of Cotton Bowl practices launched on Monday with a growing injury list.

Velus Jones Jr., who was slowed by injury last week, attended practice on an electric cart and was officially listed with a foot injury in head coach Clay Helton’s post-practice media scrum.

New on the injury list, outside linebacker Oluwole Betiku was pulled from practice with a groin problem while wide receiver Jalen Green exited with a shoulder sprain. Defensive lineman Jacob Lichtenstein was also unable to finish the day due to an ankle injury.

All three are listed as day-to-day for the time being.

“We’ve got today and tomorrow and then three days off before traveling so I’m hoping all of them will be back by next week, but we’ll see.”

USC Football Injury Report:

• Out for season: DL Kenny Bigelow (retirement), K Michael Brown (knee), CB Greg Johnson (shoulder), LB Tayler Katoa (knee), CB Jonathan Lockett (hip), S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder), OL Viane Talamaivao (pectoral), DL Marlon Tuipulotu (back), WR Keyshawn “Pie” Young (hamstring/redshirt)
• Out: OLB Hunter Echols (redshirt), WR Randal Grimes (hand), OT Nathan Smith (knee), RB James Toland (shoulder)
• Questionable: OLB Porter Gustin (toe), CB Jack Jones (ankle), WR Velus Jones Jr. (ankle)
• Probable: OLB Oluwole Betiku (groin), WR Jalen Greene (shoulder), RB Ronald Jones II (ankle), DL Jacob Lichtenstein (ankle), WR Tyler Vaughns (shoulder), OL Andrew Vorhees (concussion)

The picture hasn’t improved for cornerback Jack Jones either. The sophomore missed last week’s practices because of his ankle and he isn’t expected to participate for the rest of the week.

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Helton was hopeful that Jones could get back on the practice field in Dallas after he did some “functional” work on Monday. Isaiah Langley has moved back into the first team lineup with Jones unavailable.

On the plus side, right guard Andrew Vorhees, who also sat out last week, returned to work with the ones, having cleared concussion protocol.

Both Tyler Vaughns and Ronald Jones II were full participants on Monday as well. Vaughns came out last week because of a shoulder sprain while Jones II was protected due to an ankle issue.

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As for outside linebacker Porter Gustin, his status remains unchanged. He was present for practice, and no longer in a boot, but he did not suit up.