USC defensive end Anthony Lucas is out for the season

Anthony Lucas always looked the part. His physical tools, at 6 feet 6 and 275 pounds, once made him one of the most-coveted prospects in America, with the sort of towering potential that could transform a defense.

Yet aside from some flashes of brilliance, first at Texas A&M and then at USC, that potential largely had gone unfulfilled for two seasons. It took a new scheme, new staff and newfound focus from Lucas to finally unlock it at USC, where the first six weeks of this season offered more than a few glimpses of the junior defensive end as a force along the Trojans’ front.

That hope faded in a hurry Tuesday with word that Lucas suffered a season-ending injury in Saturday’s loss to Penn State. The injury leaves USC’s already-thin defensive line without its most-productive edge rusher the rest of the way.

Lucas underwent surgery Tuesday morning to repair what coach Lincoln Riley deemed to be “a lower-extremity” injury.

Lucas left the game early in the fourth quarter after slipping on a pass rush. He rolled into Penn State quarterback Drew Allar and was called for roughing the passer. But it was Lucas who remained sitting on the field, surrounded by trainers who appeared to be tending to an ankle.

The loss is a devastating blow to a USC defense that already was struggling to pressure opposing passers. Lucas led the Trojans with 12 pressures, four more than any other defender.

“Hate it for Anthony because he’s really improved and had a really strong impact on our defense,” Riley said. “But he’s in a good frame of mind, we’ll be excited to get him back next year and get him rolling and build on all the progress he made. And in the meantime, it’s gonna create an opportunity for some more guys to step up.”

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The problem is very few of those options are proven. Sophomore Braylan Shelby is third on the team in pressures (seven) and the most experienced pass rusher whose role should presumably increase. But Riley also pointed to freshmen such as Kameryn Fountain and Lorenzo Cowan as potential beneficiaries of Lucas’ absence.

“You rely on the development that’s been going on behind the scenes and the guys that we’ve recruited,” Riley said. “Maybe there’s some guys you thought, well, maybe their role won’t be quite as much this year or maybe they redshirt, and now, all of a sudden they’re going to have that opportunity. All of us can point to our careers to guys who became phenomenal cornerstone-type players of a program who got their first shot like this.”

The hope had been that Lucas might be that cornerstone this season, developing into the defensive end that his skill set always suggested he could be. But that last step will have to wait another season, while USC scrambles to find someone new to take his place.

Etc.

Senior tight end Lake McRee, who injured a knee against Michigan, was fully dressed for practice.