It was the perfect Southern California morning for the USC Trojans’ Pro Day on Wednesday, when former Trojans heading to the NFL Draft showcased their skills in front of NFL scouts at Cromwell Field.
Workouts began promptly at 8 a.m. as the athletes hit the weight room. Running back Keaontay Ingram posted an outstanding 23 reps on the bench press, according to USC Football team reporter Keely Eure.
Hello from USC’s Pro Day 👋🏼
— Keely Eure (@keelyismyname) March 23, 2022
Running back Keaontay Ingram just completed 23 reps on the bench. His former Trojan teammates cheered him on: pic.twitter.com/poe9aGiT2x
Following the weight room, the players and scouts poured out onto the field to begin on-field workouts. Fifteen Trojans participated, and representatives from all 32 NFL teams were in attendance. The on-field workouts included the 40-yard dash, shuttle run and positional workouts.
Each player got two cracks at the 40, and USC defensive back Isaac Taylor-Stuart came in with the best time of the day, an unofficial 4.33. Other notable times included a 4.34 from defensive back Isaiah Pola-Mao and a 4.52 from linebacker Kana’i Mauga, as well as an impressive 4.87 by Aussie punter Ben Griffiths. Some of the players who participated in the NFL Combine opted not to run a 40 on Wednesday. Those included linebacker Drake Jackson, defensive back Greg Johnson and Ingram.
Following the 40 was the shuttle run, where Taylor-Stuart posted the best unofficial time at 4.09. Jackson, Ingram and Johnson all participated in the shuttle, posting times of 4.23, 4.21 and 4.26, respectively. Defensive back Chris Steele also had a fantastic run, clocking in at 4.12.
The positional workouts, however, are where the scouts really got involved. Scouts were coaching up the players as they split into position groups, showing off one last time the on-field skills they’ve showcased for three or four years. Jackson looked very solid and comfortable in his drills, showcasing his outstanding edge rushing ability. Johnson and Steele also performed well in their pursuit of the football during defensive back drills. The drill included multiple hip turns and then a bust out to the football, which they made look very simple.
Taylor-Stuart had an exceptional Pro Day. According to the unofficial times noted above, he had the best 40 and shuttle time of any Trojan in attendance and looked exceptional in his defensive back drills, building off an already impressive NFL Combine performance. In his post-workout media availability, he said he was very pleased with his footwork, as he felt he slipped a few times at the NFL Combine. On Wednesday, Taylor-Stuart looked sharp coming off the ball, his cuts were very clean and he did an exceptional job high-pointing the football when it came his way. There were plenty of “great job” comments directed his way from the scout running his drill.
After the workout, athletes spoke to the media, and each seemed very optimistic about his performance and what’s to come. (Full interviews can be found on Rivals.com.)
After answering a few questions about putting on muscle weight, Jackson was asked if he’s excited for the draft.
“Man, I can’t wait,” Jackson said. “That’ll be the day when I finally cross the threshold and I’m really in it.”
Ingram also weighed in on how he felt about his Pro Day performance.
“I felt it went great,” Ingram said. “I came out here and did what I needed to do: showed footwork, showed I could catch the ball and be consistent with it, and so I felt like I checked off all the boxes and now I’ll just see where I go.”
For those wondering about Drake London’s status, he did not participate in Wednesday’s Pro Day, as well as the NFL Combine earlier this month. However, London was in attendance and has scheduled a workout on April 5 at USC for scouts to come and watch him.