LOS ANGELES — Just before halftime of the season opener, USC quarterback JT Daniels took a snap, dropped back to pass, and immediately saw a swarm of Fresno State players coming at him, essentially unblocked. Daniels backpedaled, trying to buy himself some time. He glanced at one of his hot routes, but his man was covered. As the defenders closed in, he spun and tried bracing himself for impact, but his right foot got caught in the grass. Two defenders crashed into him, and his body collapsed awkwardly under their weight.
“I felt a pop,” Daniels says, “so I knew right away it wasn’t good.