Nazel Is Lost for Season

USC’s injury-depleted defense sustained a major hit Thursday when senior end Omar Nazel was declared out for the season because of a thumb injury.

Nazel, the emotional leader of one of the nation’s best defensive lines, will have reconstructive surgery today to repair ligaments in his right thumb.

“It’s a heartbreaker,” defensive tackle Shaun Cody said.

Coach Pete Carroll said the second-ranked Trojans also would be without starting linebackers Matt Grootegoed (ankle) and Melvin Simmons (bruised fibula) and reserve defensive tackle LaJuan Ramsey (shoulder) on Saturday against Arizona.

Nazel, a two-year starter, dislocated his thumb Oct. 18 against Notre Dame. He had surgery upon the Trojans’ return from South Bend, Ind., and was fitted with a cast. Nazel did not play against Washington, but he started against Washington State two weeks ago and made five tackles, including a sack, and deflected a pass.

Nazel practiced in pain last week and Sunday and Tuesday. He watched practice after being examined and fitted with a new cast Wednesday, but he was not in attendance Thursday.

“He’s done a fantastic job to play in the games he’s played in and hang in this long,” Carroll said. “He’s the only senior in the front. He’s been a significant voice -- and we all know about the voice part of that. We will definitely miss him.”

Carroll said redshirt sophomore Frostee Rucker will start in place of Nazel against Arizona. Junior Jay Bottom will back up Rucker -- who started against Washington -- but Carroll said the Trojans also could move starting end Kenechi Udeze to Nazel’s spot as situations dictate and insert redshirt junior Van Brown in his place.

Carroll said an MRI exam Wednesday confirmed Grootegoed’s injury as a high ankle sprain. Sophomore Dallas Sartz will start at the strong-side spot in place of Grootegoed for the third game in a row.

Carroll said redshirt sophomore Collin Ashton, a walk-on, would start at weak-side linebacker in place of Simmons. According to USC’s sports information office, Ashton would be the first walk-on to start for the Trojans in at least 20 years.

Freshman Manuel Wright and redshirt freshman Travis Tofi will fill Ramsey’s spot in the defensive line rotation.

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Matt Leinart is the only sophomore among the 10 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback.... Sophomore fullback Brandon Hancock was chosen to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team, making him eligible for Academic All-America status. Hancock, a business major, has a 3.82 grade-point average.