USC Freshman Alijah Arenas Primed for His First Game Against Northwestern on Wednesday

Five-star freshman Alijah Arenas is set to make his long-anticipated debut for the USC Trojans this week against Northwestern, according to a source close to his status who requested anonymity. Arenas, listed as “probable” for Wednesday’s game, has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury during the summer.

The timing of Arenas’s return is crucial for the Trojans, who have struggled recently, losing three of their last five games since the start of Big Ten play. His addition is expected to bolster the team as they navigate the second half of the season.

Arenas stands out as the highest-rated recruit in head coach Eric Musselman’s two-year tenure at USC. Before suffering the knee injury, he was involved in a serious single-car accident with his Tesla Cybertruck in the spring, which resulted in hospitalization and a medically induced coma due to smoke inhalation.

Having returned to practice last month, Arenas was initially slated to debut last week. Now, with 13 regular-season games remaining, he joins the Trojans at a pivotal moment for the squad.