The injury bug has once again bitten a USC football player.
Clay Helton confirmed Thursday that linebacker Christian Rector suffered a broken hand and will be forced to undergo surgery in the coming days to repair the damage. The injury occurred during practice this past Wednesday.
Rector will be sidelined indefinitely, with the head coach calling a return “probably weeks out” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Rector’s 6.5 sacks this season are tied with Washington State’s Hercules Mata’afa for the most in the Pac-12. That number is good for 7th nationally heading into Week 9.
The fact that Rector is in such a statistical position is a direct result of injury. Porter Gustin, the starter entering the season, has missed the last five games because of toe and biceps issues, which elevated Rector to one of the starting linebacking jobs.