Sixteen USC NFL draft prospects showed off their skills Wednesday at USC’s Pro Day at Allyson Felix Field, where scouts from each NFL team were in attendance.
The Trojan prospects included:
- Defensive lineman Kyon Barrs
- Defensive back Calen Bullock
- Defensive lineman Solomon Byrd
- Long snapper Jac Casasante
- Offensive lineman Justin Dedich
- Running back Austin Jones
- Offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston
- Linebacker Shane Lee
- Running back MarShawn Lloyd
- Wide receiver Brenden Rice
- Defensive back Christian Roland-Wallace
- Punter Aadyn Sleep-Dalton
- Defensive lineman Tyrone Taleni
- Wide receiver Tahj Washington
- Defensive back Max Williams
- Quarterback Caleb Williams
Of these 16 players, only eight were invited to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine that was held in Indianapolis from February 29 to March 3.
Former USC wide receiver John Jackson III, as well as offensive linemen Joe Bryson and Brett Neilon — all players on the Trojans’ 2022 roster — were also in the prospect field.
MarShawn Lloyd spoke about his skills beyond rushing that he anticipates bringing to a future NFL team.
“Being able to catch the ball and make defenders miss, I feel like I bring that a lot to the table,” Lloyd said. “My ability to catch the ball, run up in the slot, run in receiver routes is something that I really worked on throughout this process.”
Lloyd is a top running back prospect for the upcoming draft. He transferred to USC after three seasons with South Carolina, and during this past season at USC, he had nine touchdowns and averaged 7.1 yards per carry.
Wide receiver Brenden Rice — son of NFL great Jerry Rice — said he is continuing to improve his game.
“I would have to say I’m working on route creativity as well as consistency in my routes,” Rice said. “I feel as though I can run the routes you guys saw today, in and out of the breaks, and go up and make any type of catch. It’s just the ability to consistently do it down and out.”
He recently had a visit with the Los Angeles Chargers and said that it would be “amazing” to be drafted by them.
“I love the coaching staff, I love who they are,” Rice said. “Jim Harbaugh used to recruit me out of high school, and I feel as though I would be great within that system.”
Offensive lineman Justin Dedich talked about performing at Pro Day after not being invited to the combine earlier in the month.
“I probably wasn’t ready during the combine to do some events. Obviously, I always wanted to go, you know, that’s a childhood dream,” Dedich said. “But, I’m super grateful that I got a little more time to focus and just kind of get those extra reps before I get tested.”
But the headliner was obvious. Projected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams had all eyes on him.
“I wanted to come out here and put on a show,” Williams said. “I think it went well.”
Although he didn’t play at all at the NFL Combine or complete medical testing or measurements, he did throw at Pro Day. Given that he is the expected top pick in the NFL Draft, the media has focused heavily on analyzing him.
“People are gonna say what they’re gonna say, he’s just got to stay true to himself, which he always does,” Dedich said. “He’s a great athlete … so I think just showing what he can do out here is what he does on film, which he always has.”
The Chicago Bears hold the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft and sent a team of coaching personnel to USC on Wednesday. Bears general manager Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron all stood in the end zone of the field.
Former Los Angeles Charger and incoming Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen was also on the sideline after a recent trade sent him to Chicago.
“I’ve known Keenan for probably a year now, hung out with him a few times, so for me to possibly be going to the same team as him is exciting,” Williams said.
When asked about the new players coming to the Bears, Allen said, “Fire.”
Williams recently met with the Bears and shared his growing relationship with the team. Pro Day was an opportunity to strengthen that connection.
“It was great,” he said. “I didn’t really need to learn much. Just building a relationship.”
The 2024 NFL Draft takes place from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.