Josh Shaw has been cleared to play football for USC after prosecutors declined to files criminal charges against him, the school's athletic director announced Tuesday.
Shaw, a senior defensive back and co-captain, had been suspended since he lied to school officials about how he sprained his ankles in a preseason fall.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said that it will not file domestic charges against Shaw after he jumped from a balcony following an argument with his girlfriend in late August.
USC also conducted its own internal investigation of Shaw.
"Based on these investigations and their conclusions, and the 10-game suspension Josh has served for code of conduct violations, we have made the decision to reinstate him," said USC athletic director Pat Haden.
Haden said coach Steve Sarkisian can decide whether to use Shaw in the Trojans' final two games of the regular season.
"I’ve welcomed Josh Shaw back to the team. I’m now in the process of evaluating how Josh can contribute to the team’s success," Sarkisian said in a statement Tuesday.
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The No. 19 Trojans (7-3, 6-2 Pac-12) will play their crosstown rivals, the No. 9 UCLA Bruins, on Saturday.
The Trojans likely could use Shaw's help in their patchwork secondary, where Shaw's absence has forced the Trojans to use untested youngsters.
USC's starting cornerbacks are junior Kevon Seymour - Shaw's roommate - and rising freshman Adoree Jackson, while underclassmen Chris Hawkins, John Plattenburg, Leon McQuay III and Jonathan Lockett have received extensive playing time along with senior safety Gerald Bowman.
But Shaw hasn't practiced with the Trojans since training camp, and it's unclear whether he is in game shape, let alone fully versed in the Trojans' defensive playbook.
With several years of heavy NCAA sanctions finally nearing an end, USC strived to stay out of the district attorney's investigation to avoid any suggestion that the school was influencing the process. The school also reportedly worried that Shaw's legal representation could complicate his eligibility, but apparently decided those concerns were unfounded.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
