Kilian O'Connor injury update: USC center out multiple weeks
The USC Trojans will be without starting center Kilian O’Connor for the next two games after the veteran lineman went down with a knee injury during the second quarter against Illinois.
USC head coach Lincoln Riley said after Tuesday’s practice that O’Connor will miss the next two games and it’s “a possibility to get him back after that.”
It’s a big blow to the USC offense as the 6-foot-1, 291-pound junior has been a critical piece in the middle of the offensive line and the Trojans’ next two opponents are ranked Michigan and Notre Dame teams. But O’Connor could be out four weeks and miss only those two games as the Trojans have a bye this weekend and also one following the road trip to take on the Fighting Irish.
O’Connor had several players fall on the back of his leg during a play and remained down on the field afterward. He was able to eventually get up and walked off the field and into the locker room under his own power. He did not return and the severity of the injury wasn’t immediately known. The former walk-on is a team leader and fan-favorite and will be missed while recovering. The best news is that the injury isn’t season-ending and O’Connor should be back for the stretch run at the end of the year.
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USC is now down two starting linemen with O’Connor and starting left tackle Elijah Paige both sidelined. Paige was hurt during USC’s home win against Michigan State and did not play against Illinois. This, after USC did not lose one single offensive line start due to injury in 12 games last season.
With O’Connor out of the Illinois game, USC turned to backup center J’Onre Reed, who was an offseason addition out of the transfer portal as a two-year starter at Syracuse. There were a couple of hiccups in pass protection and a tough penalty that erased a touchdown, but the offense continued to move well with Reed in the game. He’ll need to be at his best moving forward with a couple of tough tasks coming up in the form of the Michigan defensive line and a road trip to South Bend.
