The USC Trojans were hit by a wave of injuries in their first game in the Big Ten Conference against the Michigan Wolverines.

In the third quarter, USC tight end Lake McRee was injured after a hard low blow from a Michigan defender. McRee had only returned in August of this year from a torn ACL that he suffered at the end of last season.

The CBS broadcast showed McRee on the sidelines, crying. The severity of his injury is currently unknown, but McRee will not play in the game against Michigan.

McRee was declared healthy before the start of USC’s fall football training camp in July and was a full participant in practice, six months after undergoing surgery for his devastating knee injury.

“He just keeps bouncing back,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said this fall. “He’s incredibly tough, resilient and such a smart player.”

McRee is off to a great start in 2024. McRee leads the team with nine receptions and 137 receiving yards in USC’s first two games.

The redshirt junior played a crucial role for USC’s offense in its Week 1 win over LSU, catching five passes for a career-high 56 yards. His five catches are tied with redshirt junior receiver Kyron Hudson for the team lead and are the best performance by a USC tight end since 2019.

“It was pretty surreal to be able to come back, you know, start fall camp six months after tearing my ACL…I can’t give enough credit to the coaches and everybody that helped me get here,” McRee said after the win against LSU. “They worked with me a lot throughout this process. It was really fun to go out there with my brothers. It was a great team win and I just couldn’t be happy.”

McRee’s impact extends beyond the passing game. McRee posted a run block rating of 82.8 against LSU, according to PFF, ranking third among all tight ends in college football.

In his three seasons at USC, McRee caught a total of 43 passes for 459 yards (10.7 average), including 31 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Further information on McRee’s status will follow.

Earlier, in the first quarter, USC wide receiver Makai Lemon was seriously injured in punt coverage. He was able to leave the field. After being examined in the side tent, Lemon had to be taken by ambulance to the University of Michigan Hospital because he apparently suffered a head injury, according to the CBS broadcast.

Last season, Lemon played both wide receiver and cornerback. On offense, he recorded six catches for 88 yards (14.7 average) with a long of 40 yards. He also recorded one tackle.