USC quarterback Jaxson Dart is 'day to day' because of knee injury

Ryan Kartje
·2 min read
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Southern California quarterback Jaxson Dart throws a pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Washington State, Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, in Pullman, Wash. (AP Photo/Young Kwak)
USC quarterback Jaxson Dart throws a pass during the first half against Washington State on Saturday in Pullman, Wash. (Young Kwak / Associated Press)
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USC’s unexpected quarterback competition might have to wait.

After hobbling through his dynamic debut Saturday following a shot to the knee, freshman quarterback Jaxson Dart is still dealing with soreness and will be “day to day” this week, USC interim coach Donte Williams revealed Monday night on USC’s Trojans Live radio show.

Williams said Sunday there would be a competition this week between Dart and junior Kedon Slovis to see who would lead the offense on Saturday against Oregon State. But on Monday night, he explained USC plans to “hold [Dart] out a little bit for precautionary reasons.”

“We’re going to save Jaxson from himself a little bit,” Williams said, adding the quarterback competition would still continue this week.

Dart didn’t seem concerned about his knee after Saturday’s victory at Washington State, while Williams added he never considered taking the freshman out of the game.

“You have little bumps and bruises throughout the game and that kinda just comes with playing the game, so I'll be good,” Dart said.

Dart also appeared on Trojans Live on Monday night, but he was not asked about his knee injury.

Slovis is dealing with his own injury after he was forced to exit Saturday’s game following a helmet-to-helmet collision. The two-time all-conference quarterback spent the rest of the game on the sideline with a sore neck while Dart took his place, lighting up Washington State’s defense for 391 yards and four touchdowns during an unexpectedly stellar debut.

Williams said during Sunday night media access he expected Slovis to be ready to practice this week after X-rays and an MRI on his neck came back negative.

If Dart is forced to miss time this week, it’s unlikely he’d be able to unseat Slovis, who has kept his job as USC’s starting quarterback since the 2019 season opener. If neither is ready to go this week, USC would be forced to turn to another true freshman, Miller Moss, to lead the offense.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.