McAllister out for rest of season


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An already undermanned football just got a little thinner.

USC announced yesterday that junior safety Drew McAllister will undergo surgery and miss the rest of the season because of a lingering hip injury. He sat out spring practice while recovering from surgery on his hip.

McAllister recorded one tackle against Hawai’i in the season opener. In 2009, he appeared in nine games and racked up 15 tackles and a forced fumble. As a true freshman, McAllister led the team in interceptions with three.

USC coach Lane Kiffin said McAllister will redshirt this season. NCAA rules allow injured players who appear in a game to redshirt if their injury occurred during the first four games of the year and ended their season.

“He’ll get another year and that will help us,” Kiffin said. “We’re trying to redshirt as many people as possible.”

With the loss of McAllister, freshman safety Demetrius Wright is expected to take on a more prominent role. ESPN named Wright one of the top 150 recruits in the country last year.

“He’s going to play [against Washington State] regardless of the score,” Kiffin said.

Yesterday’s reinstatement of freshman safety Patrick Hall will also add depth to a depleted secondary. Hall was suspended indefinitely before the season for disciplinary reasons.