USC football coach Lincoln Riley is continuing to remain secretive regarding the injury status of wide receiver Zachariah Branch. Branch has missed the last two games for USC and has been in and out of the practice lineup for the Trojans, but at this point, the situation is mostly still shrouded in mystery.

On Tuesday, Riley in a way shed some light on the situation but still didn't do much to quell concerns from confused fans.

“Lincoln Riley said Zachariah Branch was not a full participant in practice today – though Branch was suited up for practice,” wrote Antonio Morales of The Athletic on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Getting better, he's not a full participant yet, so we'll see how it evolves throughout the week, but he's definitely improved,” said Riley, per Ryan Young of TrojanSports.com. “I think we'll get him back sooner rather than later. We don't think it's long-term, but we've also got to be smart.

Branch first sat out during USC football's road win over the Colorado Buffaloes on September 30. Then, he was once again held out of the lineup this past week as the Trojans narrowly escaped at home against the Arizona Wildcats. There has been no definitive word on what exactly the injury is that the freshman is suffering from.

Meanwhile, Lincoln Riley and the Trojans fell slightly in the rankings this week after barely surviving against a heavy underdog in Arizona. Although USC remains undefeated on the season, legitimate questions remain about just how far the team can go with as shaky as their defense has looked.

Their offense would certainly get a big boost from the hypothetical return of Branch, but as of yet, there is no indication on when that might actually occur. USC football will next take the field on October 14 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.