He only played eight games in each of the last two seasons due to the recurring knee problem, including last year, when he was officially named the starter.
Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; USC Football head coach Lincoln Riley speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
His current injury has nothing to do with his knee, but rather, it is a freak broken leg that O’Connor is forced to nurse.
“Tough blow for us. It was kind of a non-contact freak injury, honestly,” Riley said.
“Tough one for us I think more than anything from an emotional standpoint. Tremendous leader… one of the heartbeats of this program. Tough one for the guys to see. We’ll get him fixed up and get him back here with the guys and he’ll be a big part of this team even though he won’t be on the field this year.”
Sadly, for O’Connor, unless he can get a medical redshirt, he may be forced to enter the NFL Draft, hoping to get a chance and make the most of it, similar to what USC did.
“I came here to be a player,” O’Connor said in the past. “I didn’t come here just to be a bag holder.”
Jul 28, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; USC Football head coach Lincoln Riley speaks during Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Who is USC’s backup plan
In terms of replacing O’Connor, since the offensive line in the Big 10 is such a big deal, USC will need to be careful about who leads the men upfront.
“We’re fortunate to have enough depth on the O-line that we’ve been working on to obviously be able to continue to push forward,” Riley said. Among the candidates to replace O’Connor are redshirt sophomore Kaylon Miller and redshirt freshman Willi Wascher.
They have taken snaps at center, though they could also move other players around the offensive line too.
As an offensive specialist, Riley will surely have the talent to replace O’Connor, but among the other positions, the center spot is the toughest to replace.
The post USC Dealt Crushing Blow With Season-Ending OL Injury appeared first on LA Sports Report .
USCKilian O'ConnorLincoln RileyUSC Dealt Crushing Blow With SeasonEnding OL InjuryLA Sports ReportKilian O’ConnorO’ConnorJulChicagoUSAUSC Football
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