Max Tuerk Injury: Updates on USC Center's Knee and Recovery

The unfortunate news keeps rolling in for the USC Trojans football program.

According to Bryan Fischer of Bleacher Report, USC announced center Max Tuerk is out for the season with the knee injury he suffered during the loss to Washington. Fischer called it a “massive blow on the field.”

It was just the latest setback for the Trojans on Sunday after athletic director Pat Haden put head coach Steve Sarkisian on a leave of absence, per USA Today Sports, and 2016 linebacker recruit Daelin Hayes decommited and once again opened up his recruiting process, per the Los Angeles Times' Lindsey Thiry.

The Tuerk news is concerning for USC’s immediate future, especially with Saturday’s showdown at Notre Dame looming. For context, Dane Brugler of CBS Sports said the offensive lineman is the highest-rated senior center prospect for the 2016 draft.    

Tuerk was more than just the team’s starting center. He provided senior leadership and critical versatility and actually started 18 games at center, 14 at left guard, five at left tackle and one at right tackle in his career, per John Taylor of College Football Talk.

Tuerk was an All-Pac-12 first-team performer last season and was widely expected to challenge for All-American status in 2015 before this injury.

Tuerk went down in the first quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Huskies, and the USC offensive line proceeded to allow five sacks. Quarterback Cody Kessler never got into a rhythm as the protection consistently broke down, and the Trojans managed a meager 12 points in defeat.

USC is 3-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play and looks nothing like the College Football Playoff contender so many expected to see this season. A loss at Notre Dame without Tuerk would be yet another step back in an already-disappointing campaign.

Toa Lobendahn took over for Tuerk against Washington and will likely do the same against the Fighting Irish. At least Lobendahn will get a full week of preparation with the first team leading up to Saturday’s contest, but it is a tall order to expect the same type of protection from him that Tuerk offers.