Tailback Green may get his shot

Tailback Broderick Green acknowledged disappointment last month after USC’s crowded backfield and limited roster space for Pacific 10 Conference road games left him sitting at home while the Trojans lost at Oregon State.

The redshirt freshman from Arkansas, however, looks like he will be on the plane to the Northwest with a chance to possibly play a key role for the sixth-ranked Trojans on Saturday at Washington State.

Joe McKnight remains in a protective boot for a sore toe and Allen Bradford is sidelined while waiting to find out the severity of a hip injury, so Green is the No. 3 tailback behind C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson.

The 6-foot, 235-pound Green provides a style that could help the Trojans, especially in short-yardage situations.

“I’m a power threat, but I can do everything,” said Green, who rushed for 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2006 as a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark.

Green has taken small steps since arriving at USC. He suffered a foot injury that forced him to redshirt last season and has been buried on the depth chart behind the older backs. But Green said he had not considered transferring.

“You can’t be impatient,” he said. “I did break my foot last year so I can’t just expect to jump to the front.”

McKnight’s status for Saturday’s game remains uncertain. The sophomore said after practice that swelling had subsided and that he was regaining full range of motion. An athletic department official said McKnight did not show up later to see the team physician, which is customary for injured players after Tuesday practices.

Johnson practiced and said he felt fine after being absent Monday because of headaches and sinus pain caused by allergies. Bradford said he would like to redshirt but would wait until a meeting with a specialist Thursday to make a decision.

Quick kicks

With linebackers Brian Cushing (shoulder) and Kaluka Maiava (ankle) possibly out of the game or limited, redshirt freshman Chris Galippo and sophomores Malcolm Moore and Michael Morgan took multiple first-team snaps. . . . Redshirt freshman DaJohn Harris moved from defensive tackle to tight end to supply depth.

Freshman tight end Blake Ayles sat out part of practice because of pain and symptoms of a groin or abdominal injury, but said he would play. . . . Offensive lineman Butch Lewis, defensive end Everson Griffen and linebacker Jordan Campbell did not practice because of illness, Coach Pete Carroll said, adding that he was unsure if they were suffering from the virus that swept through campus last week.

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gary.klein@latimes.com