Marqise Lee Injured During Practice

After ending 2012 on a sour note, the USC Trojans hoped to get off to a fast start in 2013, but after seeing one of the nation’s fastest players - 2012 Biletnikoff Award winner Marqise Lee – go down with an injury, the Trojans may be in headed in the wrong direction again.

Lee – who is unquestionably USC’s best player and a 2013 Heisman hopeful – was forced to leave practice early on Friday after suffering an apparent injury, according to ESPN.com. After catching a long pass from quarterback Cody Kessler, Lee appeared to be in pain and was evaluated by team doctors, who were looking at his left shoulder. Lee was eventually carted off the field and did not return.

“I didn’t see him come down,” USC head coach Lane Kiffin said. “It was a really deep ball, and I was getting ready for the next play. Somebody has to step up. Darreus Rogers has looked good, next guy up.”

Lee’s condition and the severity of the injury is currently unknown. However, if Kiffin is already calling for a replacement to step up, it could mean Lee may be out for a while.

The Trojans have other talented receivers on their roster, but none even come close to measuring up to Lee, who currently owns or shares 22 school records. Lee – who is entering just his junior year – already has amassed 191 career catches for  2,864 yards and 25 touchdowns.

The speedy Lee will also be missed (if he remains sidelined for a while) in the kicking game as well. While he’s mostly known as a receiver, he’s also become a prolific return man for the Trojans and has racked up more than 1,100 yards and two touchdowns in that department.

Kiffin and the coaching staff may be confident in their other guys, but there’s simply no replacing a multi-talented player like Lee. He is one of the nation’s few game-changers and without him, the Trojans’ offense will undoubtedly be limited.

Once we learn more about the extent of his injury, we’ll be able to say for sure how it will effect betting on the Trojans this season. But like the team, we should remain cautious and not get ahead of ourselves now that we know Lee could be out for quite some time. As always, we’ll pass along the latest information as it comes in.