USC rush end Romello Height undergoes shoulder surgery, will miss rest of 2022 season

USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley delivered bad news for the defense on Thursday. Riley shared edge rusher Romello Height will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery this week.

Height was one of two Trojans went to the sideline during the Trojans’ game against Stanford with apparent injuries. The rush end left fairly early in the game and later appeared on the sideline with his arm in a sling.

Height is in his first year with USC after transferring in the spring of 2022 from Auburn. The redshirt sophomore didn’t record a stat before the injury took him out. At Auburn, he had 18 tackles, including 3 for losses, while appearing in 10 games in two seasons.

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A member of the 2020 recruiting class, Height hails from Dublin, Georgia. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 346 recruit in the nation, according to the On3 Consensus.

Solomon Byrd steps in for Height

When Height went out against Stanford, it meant extensive reps for Solomon Byrd. Byrd was another summer addition for the Trojans from Wyoming. He missed some time during fall camp with an injury, but made several big plays against Stanford. He finished with four tackles, two sacks and a pass deflection.

Riley said he spoke directly to Byrd at the team hotel before the game.

“You have to always be ready,” Riley said of his message to Byrd. “You just never know when it is. And he was ready. He got in there, got reps, played aggressive, got after the passer, played fast. And it was obviously important for us that he stepped up and he did.”

After the Stanford game, Byrd once again stepped up to leave a mark on the Fresno State game. He had a fumble recovery, as well as four tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.