USC Trojans Injury Update: Wide Receiver Ja'Kobi Lane OUT vs. Michigan State

The USC Trojans will host the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday, Sept. 20 in their Big Ten home opener. USC junior receiver Ja'Kobi Lane is a late add to the injury report and has been listed as questionable for the matchup.

Nov 2, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) participates in pregame warmups against the Washington Huskies at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

USC Trojans running back Bryan Jackson, defensive back Alex Graham and Prophet Brown, receivers Zacharyus Williams and Prince Strachan and kicker Caden Chittenden all missed last Saturday’s contest against Purdue with undisclosed injuries. 

The Trojans will host Michigan State on Saturday, Sept. 20 in its Big Ten home opener. 

Here are both team's full reports.

USC Trojans

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley stands on the sidelines during the first quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

QUESTIONABLE

8 Ja'Kobi Lane, Wide Receiver

Out

0 Zacharyus Williams, Wide Receiver
16 Prophet Brown, Cornerback
21 Bryan Jackson, Running Back
27 Alex Graham, Cornerback
45 Caden Chittenden, Kicker

Michigan State Spartans

OUT

0 Alante Brown, Wide Receiver
15 Caleb Gash, Defensive Back
18 Andrew Brinson IV, Defensive Back
15 Caleb Gash, Defensive Back
18 Andrew Brinson IV, Defensive Back
40 Tarik Ahmetbasic, Kicker
45 Kaden Schickel, Long Snapper
70 Luka Vincic, Offensive Lineman
93 Jalen Satchell, Deefensive Lineman

Injuries on Offense 

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans wide receiver Zacharyus Williams (0) runs just short of the end zone during the second half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jackson or Strachan will be out another week. They have both missed each of the last two games. 

However, USC coach Lincoln Riley revealed this week that Williams will miss a few weeks after suffering an injury late in the Trojans win over Georgia Southern in week 2. 

Riley limited the receiver rotation against Purdue in week 3. Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon played a majority of the snaps as the Trojans, freshman Tanook Hines was next in line, logging 33 snaps and Jaden Richardson played 19. 

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USC has started each of its first three games in 12 personnel and stayed in that formation more this season than it any other point in Riley’s tenure. 

At running back, it will continue to be Waymond Jordan and Eli Sanders the leading the way. King Miller has served as the team’s No. 3 running back in Jackson’s absence and has certainly made his case to remain there. 

Secondary 

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers wide receiver Corey Smith (12) reaches for a ball in front of USC Trojans cornerback Chasen Johnson (21) during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Riley revealed earlier this week that sophomore cornerback Chasen Johnson will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury. 

The UCF transfer missed a majority of fall camp with an injury. USC does not give specifics on injuries as they happen, but Johnson was wearing a sleeve on his knee as he was working his way back in August. He was out for the first game but played the previous two. 

USC will continue to play its normal four cornerbacks in DeCarlos Nicholson, DJ Harvey, Braylon Conley and Marcelles Williams. 

Nicholson has started all three games so far, while the other three have each started one game. Lynn said this week that they will go with the “hot hand” moving forward. 

Graham has yet to make his Trojans debut since suffering an injury just before the first game of the season. The talented freshman was expected to start at nickel and his absence, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has gone with a three-safety defense, that has seen Kamari Ramsey move to the nickel spot. 

Prophet Brown Update

Oct 7, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Jacob Cowing (2) scores a touchdown against Southern California Trojans cornerback Prophet Brown (16) during the first overtime at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

It will probably still be a while before we see Brown back on the field, but this was the first week he was seen walking on his own since suffering a non-contact lower body injury the second week of fall camp. What the Trojans decide to do in the secondary when either him or Graham return to action will be something to follow.

Ramsey, who is one of the top safeties in the 2026 draft class, playing almost exclusively nickel this season has been a story with Big Ten play fully underway.