USC Football Injury Report: Oluwole Betiku, Stephen Carr out for Spring Camp

Outside linebacker Oluwole Betiku and running back Stephen Carr will miss Spring Camp 2018, USC Football confirmed in the spring guide.

In addition to roster updates and new jersey numbers, USC Football’s Spring Camp media guide carried some unfortunate news for a pair of Trojans who will miss significant time due to injury.

The big news from the media guide concerns outside linebacker Oluwole Betiku, who has undergone hip surgery and will miss spring practice as a result.

Betiku was pulled from practice in the lead up to the Cotton Bowl in December with a groin problem, but this is the first hint of a hip issue for the junior linebacker.

USC Football Injury Report:

• Out for spring: RB Stephen Carr (back), LB Oluwole Betiku (hip)

The injury layoff is particularly unfortunate because Betiku would have had a major opportunity to battle at the strongside linebacker position. With Uchenna Nwosu graduated, the race to fill his starting job should be fierce, and Betiku will miss the first leg this spring.

Betiku played in just nine games in 2017, tallying two tackles and a half-tackle for loss. Despite his five-star billing coming out of high school, he has seen limited run on the edge for the Trojans.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

USC also confirmed reports that running back Stephen Carr will sit out this spring while recovering from an apparent herniated disc. However, the Trojans went a step further, stating that Carr had offseason back surgery.

That would suggest that Carr’s herniated disc is not just a minor tweak requiring rest, but at a level which required surgery.

It remains likely Carr will have time to recover and rehab ahead of a return for fall camp, but any time a back injury involves surgery there could be a long-term concern.

CHECK OUT: Predicting USC’s 2018 Depth Chart

Carr is expected to step into a starting role for USC at running back with Ronald Jones II off to the NFL. His absence this spring will give backups Aca’Cedric Ware and Vavae Malepeai, the Trojans lone scholarship backs without Carr, to make a first impression on new running backs coach Tim Drevno.