LOS ANGELES — USC sophomore George Farmer was back at wide receiver and performing well for most of the Trojans' first two practices of the spring.
However, at the end of Thursday's practice, Farmer left Howard Jones Field with an injured hamstring.
Farmer, who was a top-five national recruit coming out of Serra High School in 2010, was moved from wide receiver to running back last season.
In his return to wide receiver this spring, he's made an impact, flashing signs of what many expected out of him coming out of high school.
It's unknown how much time he'll have to miss with the injury.
"I don't know how bad it is," USC coach Lane Kiffin said. "Hopefully he'll be right back, but it's unfortunate because he was having two really good days.
With Farmer's injury, that puts two-thirds of the Serra High wide receiver alums on the shelf. Robert Woods, a junior, is still recovering from ankle surgery in December.
Marqise Lee is healthy and dazzled with leaping catches that are beginning to become a staple of his.
The sophomore made a leaping catch on a Matt Barkley ball thrown over the middle while leaning in the air with both arms outstretched.
When asked about the catch Kiffin had a hard time keeping straight all of Lee's acrobatic grabs on Thursday.
"The good thing is I don't know which one of those you're referring to," Kiffin said. "He makes (a lot of) those a day. He was the MVP of today. He's just unique. He's a great player with the potential to be the best receiver ever to play here."
Had this been college basketball, stars such as Lee and Woods would have likely bolted for the professional ranks. Kiffin's glad he doesn't have to deal with the one-and-done rule as the Trojans' football coach.
"We'd have a problem with that, obviously with how well we've had our freshman play over the last two years, and especially this last year with Marqise," Kiffin said.
The Trojans will have on pads for the first time this spring when they return to the practice field on Saturday.
