LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday morning, USC held its annual Pro Day on campus. In front of scouts and representatives from all 32 NFL teams, 19 Trojans participated in workouts.
Obviously, the spotlight belonged to quarterback Caleb Williams. The 2022 Heisman Trophy-winner is widely expected to be selected with the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus were both in attendance Wednesday and watched Williams very closely throughout the event.
However, there were numerous other Trojans who had an opportunity to spotlight their talents Wednesday as well. During Williams’s throwing session, he threw to wide receivers Tahj Washington and Brenden Rice, both of whom are projected to hear their name’s called next month as well. Running backs Austin Jones and Marshawn Lloyd both got in some work as well.
In addition, several USC offensive linemen had the opportunity to perform drills in front of scouts. A notable name within that group was center Brett Neilon, who last played for the Trojans in 2022. After suffering a lower leg injury during the Pac-12 Championship Game against Utah, Neilon was unable to participate in the pre-draft process last year. Now that he is finally healthy, however, Neilon is back on campus and looking to showcase himself to the league.
“It was awesome having Brett back,” said fellow offensive lineman Justin Dedich, a teammate of Neilon’s for five seasons at USC. “I was grateful I got to do this with him, and see him, you know, come back from a serious injury and come do it with us.”
“He’s one of my best friends for life.”
While the majority of USC’s draft prospects this year are on the offensive side of the ball, there are several defenders who are hoping to hear their names called next month as well. That group includes All-American safety Calen Bullock, safety Max Williams, and linebacker Shane Lee.
“I want to enjoy the moment with my family,” said Bullock of the upcoming draft. “They’ve been there since I was little, they know how important it is.”
“It’s a dream come true.”
In addition to on-field drills, the event included measurements and testing. Washington ran the fastest 40-yard dash of the day, posting an official time of 4.52 seconds. Offensive lineman Jarrett Kingston led the way on the bench press with 36 reps. Cornerback Christian Roland-Wallace had the highest vertical jump at 37.5 inches.
The full list of results and measurements is available online here.
Wednesday’s Pro Day was one of the final official pre-draft events for USC’s prospects. Now, all that remains for the players is to wait and see which, if any, teams invite them in for official visits.
The 2024 NFL Draft will take place from April 25-27 in Detroit, Michigan.
