As USC prepares for its showdown with No. 9 Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 14, a handful of former Trojans are carrying their own uncertainty into the NFL weekend.
The biggest name on the injury list is Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is questionable because of a rib injury that has limited him in practice this week.
St. Brown has become one of the league’s most reliable offensive weapons, but his USC roots still matter in the story.
He arrived in Southern California and put together 77 catches for 1,042 yards as a true sophomore, then saw his final college season shortened by COVID-19 before moving on to Detroit.
USC’s footprint around the league shows up in plenty of places, and Houston is one of the clearest examples. The Texans have drafted more former Trojans than any other team in the last few years, and their secondary alone is packed with USC names: Calen Bullock, Jaylin Smith and Kamari Ramsey.
Smith’s situation is the murkiest of the bunch. He has been on injured reserve after a hamstring injury in week 4, and his return heading into week 10 is still unknown.
Houston’s injury report listed him as a limited participant on Wednesday before he fully participated on Thursday. Smith spent four seasons at USC, finishing with 40 solo tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and two interceptions before being drafted in 2025.
In Houston’s deep secondary, where Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter are also part of the mix, Smith is important depth.
Bullock, meanwhile, has kept producing for the Texans. Through seven games, he has 36 total tackles and one interception.
Houston’s backfield is also watching an injury situation closely. Running back Woody Marks, another member of USC’s 2025 NFL Draft class, leads the Texans with 95 carries and 341 rushing yards while starting running back David Montgomery has dealt with a groin injury since week 5. Marks did not practice Thursday, leaving his status for Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns in doubt.
Seattle is dealing with a different kind of concern, but the result is the same: uncertainty. Former USC quarterback Sam Darnold is expected to miss a second straight game because of a cracked rib and a quad injury.
Darnold, who became the first former Trojan to win a Super Bowl as a starting quarterback, did it with his fourth NFL team after winning the title with the Seahawks. He had already missed time earlier this season with a glute injury, and backup Drew Lock has already started games this year.
There is no timeline yet for Darnold’s return, though he had been considered week-to-week before sitting out Seattle’s week 9 win over Arizona.
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