No. 18 USC heads into Saturday’s Big Ten matchup at No. 9 Indiana in Bloomington with a clean enough injury picture that nothing new appears ready to derail the Trojans.
That’s a sharp change of pace for USC, which has been in far better shape physically during Big Ten play than it has in past seasons. The latest report doesn’t bring any major surprises, though it does include one fresh setback.
Safety Trestin Castro is the newest name on the list after suffering a significant lower body injury in the first quarter of the Oct. 31 win over Ohio State. He was later seen on crutches with a brace on his leg as fans rushed the Coliseum.
Castro had already been forced into action earlier this season against Rutgers in Week 3 because of injuries at safety, but beyond that he had mostly worked as a special teams contributor.
There’s also some good news for USC on the offensive side. Freshman guard Kannon Smith made his first career start against the Buckeyes after Hayden Treter went down with a season-ending injury against Wisconsin in Week 8, and Smith appears set to stay in that role.
Tight end Mark Bowman is off the injury report entirely. The freshman was a game-time call against Ohio State after missing the previous three games with a hamstring injury.
He still played on a snap count, but USC clearly felt the difference with the former five-star recruit back on the field. After the second bye, Bowman had extra time to recover and should be free of restrictions Saturday.
Another positive for the Trojans: sophomore defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart is no longer listed either. Stewart had re-injured the same foot that had him on a snap count throughout the 2025 season during fall camp, which kept him out of the first four games this year.
Indiana’s picture is more complicated. Coach Curt Cignetti has not revealed his starting quarterback for Saturday, but Josh Hoover is officially off the injury report after missing the second half of the Hoosiers’ Oct. 31 win over Minnesota with an injured throwing arm suffered against Ohio State. If Cignetti decides not to go with Hoover, Grant Wilson would be the next option.
The Hoosiers will definitely be missing a pair of important starters. Guard Joe Brunner, who had started every game this season after transferring from Wisconsin in the offseason, was injured in practice on Tuesday and will sit out against USC.
Leading rusher Turbo Richard is also out. Richard and Lee Beebe Jr. had formed Indiana’s top backfield tandem, but Beebe will now carry the load.
Freshman Jayreon Campbell and sophomore Sean Cuono have combined for just 20 carries.
Indiana will also be without key reserve defensive end Kellan Wyatt. Cornerback AJ Harris, who was listed as questionable on the first injury report, has since been upgraded to probable.
In Other News...
Indiana Faces A Massive Playoff Test Against Surging USC
Indianas Week 11 matchup with USC brings plenty more than a marquee name to Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are set to host the Trojans in a game that carries real College Football Playoff weight, with both programs trying to strengthen their position in a crowded national race. It is the kind of late-season meeting that can reshape how a season is viewed, especially when a ranked opponent comes in with history on its side.
USC has won all four previous meetings, which only adds to the challenge for Indiana as it looks to protect its home field and keep its postseason path in focus. The game also comes with the usual Saturday details that matter to fans planning around it, including kickoff time, television coverage and the weather forecast in Bloomington, but the bigger storyline is simple enough: a surging Trojans team arrives with momentum, and Indiana gets a chance to answer on a stage with major consequences. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Faces One Huge Offensive Test In Playoff Fight Vs USC
A playoff race game at Memorial Stadium brings a different kind of pressure this weekend, with No. 9 Indiana set to host No. 18 USC in a matchup that could shape both teams postseason paths. Both sides are coming off a bye week, and the noon kickoff on CBS gives the Hoosiers a chance to reset at a time when every possession matters a little more.
USC arrives with momentum after its upset win over Ohio State and still has plenty to play for in the College Football Playoff chase. Indiana, meanwhile, has to sort through injuries and find a cleaner offensive rhythm against a USC defense that will ask a lot of the Hoosiers from the start, making this one of the most revealing tests left on their schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Indianas Big Ten Path Suddenly Runs Through A Dangerous USC Test
Indianas overtime escape against Minnesota did more than pad the win column. It left the Hoosiers alone as the Big Tens only one-loss team after Ohio States recent defeat, which means the road to the conference title game now runs through Bloomington. After reaching eight wins and getting a bye week to reset, Indiana suddenly finds itself in a position it has not occupied often in this league race, with its margin for error looking much different than it did just a week ago.
The next step is a USC matchup that now carries far more weight than it did on the calendar a month ago. Indiana has earned the right to control its own fate, but that also means every remaining test matters, and the Trojans bring enough talent and danger to make this one feel like a real measuring stick. With the bye offering a brief pause, the focus shifts quickly from surviving Minnesota to handling a game that could shape the rest of the Hoosiers Big Ten story. [Read more 🡒]