LOS ANGELES >> As USC grinds through training camp — 19 players sat out practice Tuesday because of injuries, coach Lane Kiffin said — Su’a Cravens pushes on.

The freshman safety is expected to play, and possibly start, when the Trojans open the season Aug. 29 at Hawaii.

For now, Cravens is focused on getting through his first camp, which began Aug. 3.

“I’m not used to waking up every day at 6 in the morning, work during practice, go to meetings, go back to practice and go back to meetings,” Cravens said, laughing. “It’s hard to stay up, and do it the next day, but I’m getting used to the grind.

“It’s something we have to do to get better.”

Kiffin ran a shorter practice Tuesday to prevent overworking available players.

Cravens, 18, was the USA Today defensive player of the year in 2012 at Vista Murrieta High. The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Cravens enrolled at USC in January and participated in spring practice, but he suffered a knee injury that forced him to sit out much of it and required surgery.Cravens sat out several practices last week because of an undisclosed injury but said his knee was “100 percent.”

He is part of a safety rotation that includes seniors Josh Shaw and Demetrius Wright and junior Dion Bailey. And he hopes to start.

“I didn’t come here just to sit on the bench,” Cravens said. “I came to SC to try and get on the field as fast as I can.”

Clowney back at practice

COLUMBIA, S.C. >> South Carolina All-American Jadeveon Clowney has returned to practice after missing the past two sessions with a bruised shoulder.

Clowney sat out Saturday’s scrimmage and Monday night’s practice before returning to the field on Tuesday. South Carolina did not practice Sunday. Gamecocks defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward had said that Clowney’s injury was not serious.

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier may have sped up Clowney’s return to the field, saying that if the defensive end’s shoulder didn’t show improvement soon, the Gamecocks might have to go without him in the opener against North Carolina on Aug. 29.

Clowney had 13 sacks last season and was named the SEC’s defensive player of the year. He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Alabama linebacker suspended

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. >> Alabama coach Nick Saban says starting inside linebacker Trey DePriest has been suspended “for a short time.”

Saban said Tuesday that DePriest violated team rules and could be back as soon as a week. The Crimson Tide open Aug. 31 against Virginia Tech.

Saban didn’t elaborate on what the linebacker did but says “it wasn’t a very smart thing to do, and there has to be consequences sometimes when you don’t do the right things.”