USC football injury report: DBs limited for Spring Camp and more updates

The Spring Prospectus offered updates to USC football’s injury situation heading into Spring Camp, with several defensive backs expected to be limited.

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USC football will enter Spring Camp with plenty of depth concerns, which aren’t helped by a number of injuries which will limit players when practices begin on Tuesday.

The Trojans released their Spring Prospectus on Monday including updates on each player, several of whom are dealing with injuries.

As expected, kicker Chase McGrath will miss out as he rehabs the knee injury he suffered against Texas in 2018. Walk-on quarterback Holden Thomas is also sidelined by an elbow injury, though he is currently listed in the transfer portal on 247Sports.com.

USC football injury report

OUT:
- K Chase McGrath (knee)
- QB Holden Thomas (elbow)
LIMITED:
- OT Clayton Bradley (back)
- RB Ben Easington (shoulder)
- CB Olaijah Griffin (shoulder)
- S Isaiah Pola-Mao (shoulder)
- DT Trevor Trout (back)
- CB Max Williams (knee)

The players who are limited will likely have a larger impact on the Trojans’ ability to prepare this Spring Camp.

Among the greatest concerns are the defensive backs. USC graduated five safeties, cornerbacks and safeties from the 2018 squad. Additional departures due to transfers have the Trojans dealing with some serious depth issues.

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Contributing to those issues are injuries to cornerbacks Olaijah Griffin and Max Williams, and safety Isaiah Pola-Mao.

Griffin underwent shoulder surgery at the end of the 2018 season and will be limited this spring. Williams is an early enrollee, but he is recovering from a high school knee injury and will also be limited.

Though Greg Johnson is reportedly set to transfer, he too is listed as “limited” in the Spring Prospectus.

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That leaves the Trojans with Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Chase Williams as the only healthy scholarship cornerbacks on the roster.

At safety, it’s a similar story. Pola-Mao’s redshirt freshman season was ended by a shoulder injury and rehabbing from surgery will limit him this spring.

Only two other safeties return from last year’s squad: Talanoa Hufanga and C.J. Pollard. On the plus side, the season-ending collarbone break suffered by Hufanga in October won’t keep him out of spring practice. Early enrollee Briton Allen will add a much-needed body to the mix.

The lines will also be somewhat impacted by injury.

Offensive tackle Clayton Bradley is still recuperating from a back injury which limited him last season. He will be “slowed” by that injury this spring, according to the Spring Prospectus.

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A back injury is also set to limit defensive tackle Trevor Trout, whose absence will impact depth at nose tackle.

Fortunately, junior college transfer Caleb Tremblay isn’t among those described as limited for spring. He was sidelined by a knee sprain last year and took a redshirt.

At running back, walk-on Ben Easington may not be fully available because of a shoulder problem. As far as depth goes, it’s a good thing Stephen Carr has been cleared full after dealing with a back and ankle issue in 2018.

Finally, on Signing Day head coach Clay Helton revealed tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe had not yet begun working out with the team during winter workouts. The redshirt senior is not listed as an injury concern for Spring Camp however. That may be a good sign, though USC has been cagey about Imatorbhehbe’s status since his hip/upper leg/groin concern began to hamper him in 2017.

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