USC, faced with a potential wave of early departures to the NFL draft, will bring back one starter.

Linebacker Porter Gustin is to return to school for his senior season, according to a person close to the situation.

Gustin missed most of this past season because of a toe fracture, but considered leaving for the professional ranks. He was projected by WalterFootball.com as being drafted between the second and fourth rounds as the sixth outside linebacker overall.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, Gustin began the season as one of the Trojans’ top pass rushers, starting at the “predator” linebacker position, a spot that at times lines him up as an edge rusher. He had three sacks in the first three games.

Two of Gustin’s sacks came during the first half of a double-overtime win over Texas in Week 3, but he did not return for the second half. Two screws that had been implanted in his toe three days before had loosened.

Gustin missed the next five games, before a brief return at Arizona State in late October, then missed the rest of the season. He wore a walking boot until mid-December.

Gustin, a former five-star recruit from Utah, started as a sophomore in 2016, when he had 5.5 sacks and a team-high 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The Trojans will already be without all-conference outside linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who was a senior, in 2018.

Among USC’s draft-eligible underclassmen, quarterback Sam Darnold and running back Ronald Jones earlier this week declared for April’s draft. Wide receiver Deontay Burnett, offensive lineman Toa Lobendahn, defensive tackle Rasheem Green, linebacker Cameron Smith and cornerback Iman Marshall have not revealed their future plans.

The early entry deadline is Jan. 15, and classes for the university’s spring semester start Monday.