USC Trojans Quarterback Miller Moss 'Confident' in Tight Ends Following Lake McRee Injury?

The USC Trojans suffered a major blow to its offense with the loss of Lake McRee for the coming weeks, but quarterback Miller Moss remains confident in his young tight room. Will redshirt freshman Kade Eldridge and freshman Walker Lyons be able to step up?

USC quarterback Miller Moss makes a pass against Michigan during the first half. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The USC Trojans suffered a major blow to its offense when tight end Lake McRee went down with a knee injury after taking a low hit from Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill in the third quarter. McRee was visibly upset on the sideline after being checked out in the medical tent and was consoled by linebacker Eric Gentry and cornerback Greedy Vance. 

Luckily, McRee avoided a season-ending injury and is expected to return at some point this season. 

McRee battled back from a major ACL injury that he sustained in practice leading up to the Holiday Bowl against the Louisville Tigers in December. Incredibly, he was cleared before the start of fall camp and was a full participant in practice. 

USC quarterback Miller Moss makes a pass against Michigan during the first half. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“We got good news,” said USC coach Lincoln Riley. “He’ll be back this year. He won’t be back for probably the next couple of weeks but definitely some positive news given the hit. I don’t fault the kid from Michigan it’s legal right now, but a hit like that doesn’t need to be legal.”

McRee has been an integral part of the offense, ranking second on the team behind receiver Zachariah Branch in receptions (12) and receiving yards (134). The redshirt junior caught a career-high five receptions in the Trojans upset win over the LSU Tigers in week one. The following week, McRee had a career-high 81 receiving yards against the Utah State Aggies. 

Quarterback Miller Moss will look to redshirt freshman Kade Eldridge and freshman Walker Lyons with McRee sidelined for the coming weeks. The two players have a combined five receptions this season. 

“They’ve practiced really well,” said Moss. “I think Kade (Eldridge) had a great spring and Walker (Lyons) has been doing really well since he got in. I have a tremendous amount of confidence. I think they’re going to do really well and obviously get some more opportunities.”

Sep 21, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) walks off the field after the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Eldridge received a majority of the tight end reps on Saturday after McRee excited the game to help neutralize the Michigan pass rush. 

Lyons, who spent the last two years on an LDS mission in Norway, played his first collegiate snaps in the Trojans blowout win over Utah State. The lights inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum went out a couple of times in the second half which almost hampered Lyons opportunity to receive in-game reps. However, Riley and Utah State coach Nate Dreiling elected to continue play. 

"Those reps are invaluable," Riley said "You don't know when or how often those are going to happen. A lot of those guys go out there and get their first burn in a game, it's important. Some guys came in and did a nice job. They got that first one out of the way. A lot of these guys will have opportunities to get bigger roles both during this season and certainly as time goes on.”

The Trojans will host the Wisconsin Badgers for their Big Ten home opener on Saturday, Sep. 28. The game is slated to kickoff at 12:30 p.m. PT and will air on CBS. 

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