USC's Helton denies E.J. Price punched him, confirms transfer
USC head coach Clay Helton denied the rumor that he was punched by offensive lineman E.J. Price, but confirmed the once-prized recruit will transfer out of the program.
"I'm not a big social media guy, but I got told today about E.J. Price hitting me, which is funny," Helton told reporters Tuesday, according to ESPN's Kyle Bonagura. "I wouldn't be here; I'd be dead, one. May make my face look better, but when it comes to E.J. - I know a lot of times when a guy doesn't show up on the field there's questions.
"I talked to E.J. a couple days ago. E.J. has some personal family issues that are going on - a lot of homesickness and missing family really bad. With us sitting down and visiting, really felt, mutually, that it was important for him to go find a school that is closer to home, where he can deal with his family."
Price, who hails from Georgia, came to USC as one of the top offensive tackle recruits in the nation. He didn't play in any of the Trojans' first three games and was expected to redshirt his freshman campaign.
The rumor that Price punched his coach came from an online forum.