USC's annual Pro Day event wasn’t a particularly eventful one Tuesday, at least from a viewing perspective, with the abnormally heavy rains in the morning soaking the field and delaying the day’s activities considerably.
Players conducted much of their testing indoors without media present before making their way to the field, where 40-yard dashes were the only testing done in the open, followed by on-field positional drills.
The conditions for the 40-yard dash were far from optimal on a deeply waterlogged field, and the times for the day definitely need to be considered with that in mind.
Running back Travis Dye shared his frustration with that reality afterward.
"I wish I had better 40 weather condition. Every time I sunk my foot in, it felt like I was running in mud," Dye said, not even wanting to see his times. "I feel really good, I feel like I'm moving fast, I feel like I'm moving pretty quick. I just knew that it wasn't going to be anything to my standards with the field [as it was] today."
Here’s a recap of performances for key players on the day:
DL Tuli Tuipulotu
Measurements: 6-foot-3, 268 pounds
Tuipulotu chose not to test at the NFL combine and surprisingly did the same today. At least with regards to the outdoor 40-yard dash, that decision may have been for the best given the conditions. Regardless, he turned in another impressive showing on the field, following up on a very strong performance at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was fluid and explosive in his rush drills, showing good bend around the corner and burst off the line. Tuipulotu was also asked to work linebacker drills, dropping into space and reacting to thrown footballs. He didn’t miss a beat there, showing off plus movement skills as he covered ground and broke on the ball with relative ease.
His positional versatility will be a major point of interest for NFL teams, with the potential to play everywhere from 3-tech lineman to 3-4 OLB.
WR Jordan Addison
Measurements: 5-foot-11 1/8, 170 pounds
Shuttle: 4.15 seconds
3-Cone: 7.05 seconds
The potential No. 1 receiver in the draft also chose not to run a 40-yard dash, having already turned in a decent time of 4.47 seconds at the NFL combine. Though Addison didn’t have a particularly inspiring all-around showing in his testing in Indianapolis, his work in on-field drills remained strong as expected. At USC’s Pro Day, little changed as he turned in another refined performance in his on-field drills while having a middling testing session.
He ran the shuttle and 3- cone after abstaining at the combine, with relatively average times in each. On the field, the rain coming down during his drills added an extra layer of difficulty, but Addison met the challenge with ease, running crisp routes while consistently showing good ball tracking and excellent hands.
CB Mekhi Blackmon
Measurements: 5-foot-11, 182 pounds
Blackmon followed up on his strong NFL combine with another good showing Tuesday, choosing to sit on his strong combine testing and handling his on-field work at a high level. Blackmon’s fluidity and change of direction skills were evident as he worked through DB drills, coming out of his backpedal with explosiveness and showing quick feet all around. His ability to play the ball was also noticeable as he did well to find footballs in the air and to get his hands on them. All around, it was a strong showing for Blackmon, who’s had a good pre-draft process from the combine onward. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him be a late riser on draft boards thanks to those showings and the quality of his film from the past season.
RB Travis Dye
Measurements: 5-foot-9 3/4, 210 pounds
Bench: 16 reps
Shuttle: 4.75 seconds
Vertical: 27 inches
Broad: 8 feet, 11 inches
In his first public action since his injury near the tail end of USC’s season, Dye was full go, moving at full speed and appearing to be back at 100% health. He said as much himself, also clarifying the nature of his injury as a straightforward lower-fibula break (with no ligament damage) that shouldn’t pose any problems going forwards. With that said, Dye’s testing on the day didn’t go particularly well. It might not be surprising if he tries another workout sometime going forward.
Despite the sub-optimal testing, Dye’s work in the on-field drills definitely did him favors in front of the assembled scouts. His ease of movement and smoothness in catching the football were apparent, and he didn’t show any lingering effects of the injury in his movement.
Other participants
WR Terrell Bynum
Measurements: 6-foot, 188 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.5 seconds
Bench press: 15 reps
Vertical: 35 inches
Shuttle: 4.19 seconds
3-cone: 6.97 seconds
Broad: 10 feet, 1 inch
TE Josh Falo
Measurements: 6-foot-5 3/8, 248 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.77 seconds
Bench press: 15 reps
Vertical: 35 inches
Shuttle: 4.5 seconds
3-cone: 7.26 seconds
Broad: 9 feet, 6 inches
QB Mo Hasan
Measurements: 6-foot-2 3/8, 210 pounds
OL Bobby Haskins
Measurements: 6-foot-5 7/8, 297 pounds
Vertical: 25.5 inches
Shuttle: 5.1 seconds
3-cone: 7.5 seconds
Broad: 8 feet, 8 inches
OL Brett Neilon
Measurements: 6-foot-1 5/8, 286 pounds
Bench press: 29 reps
DL Brandon Pili
Measurements: 6-foot-2 7/8, 316 pounds
40-yard dash: 5.3
Bench press: 24 reps
Vertical: 29 inches
Shuttle: 4.95 seconds
3-cone: 7.69 seconds
Broad: 8 feet, 11 inches
Walk-on RB Brandon Outlaw
Measurements: 5-foot-7, 181 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.62 seconds
Bench press: 19 reps
Vertical: 32 inches
Shuttle: 4.53 seconds
3-cone: 7.2 seconds
Broad: 9 feet, 4 inches
Walk-on DB Micah Croom
Measurements: 6-foot-1 1/4, 211 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.65 seconds
Bench press: 16 reps
Vertical: 27.5 inches
Shuttle: 4.48 seconds
3-cone: 7.46 seconds
Broad: 9 feet, 7 inches