University of Southern California head coach Steve Sarkisian announced Friday that linebacker Anthony Sarao will miss the remainder of the spring with a small crack in his right foot. The injury is said to have occurred at some point during the off season, but the good news is that this should not have any impact on his 2015 season. Although not extremely severe, the injury will cause Sarao to sit 6-8 weeks during the recovery process and he should be 100 percent healthy by the start of summer training.
Carao is one of the major catalysts of the Trojans defense and racked up 74 tackles, good for third on the team. The junior also contributed two interceptions, one of which was returned for one of USC’s three defensive touchdowns on the season. Furthermore, Sarao has started 20 straight games for the Trojans and had been one of the program’s lone consistencies during a period filled with turmoil.
Sarao has a bright future ahead of him and must avoid any future injuries if he hopes to take his game to the next level. Nonetheless, Sarao must focus on returning to full form and helping USC return to being one of the premier programs in the nation. The Trojans finished the 2014 campaign a disappointing 9-4 on the strength of Sarao’s solid season and must rely more on his efforts for next year. USC has a proud history of producing elite linebackers and Sarao may be the next in the strong lineage of NFL linebackers.
*Section Photo credit to Harry How, Getty Images; Featured Photo (above) credit to Jake Roth, USA Today Sports
