There were bound to be dominoes within the USC roster from the Pac-12's decision to cancel the fall football season, and the first major one tumbled Wednesday as defensive tackle Jay Tufele announced on Twitter that he will opt out of a potential spring season and start preparing for the NFL draft.
Tufele is considered by most to be USC's top draft prospect and a potential fringe first-round pick.
The 6-foot-3, 315-pound redshirt junior had 6.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 41 total tackles last season.
There's no certainty the Pac-12 plays a spring season either, so it was expected that some players might make the decision to just focus on the draft. Many of USC's other potential draftees could really benefit from playing a season and elevating their stock, however, so it remains to be seen how many will follow Tufele's lead.
Tufele was an All-Pac-12 first-team selection last season and an honorable mention All-American pick by Phil Steele.
If USC does have a season, it now must replace one of its most important defensive cogs. It remains to be seen how much the Trojans will operate in a 3-down vs. 4-down front, as new coordinator Todd Orlando has said he'll use a mix of both, but either way Tufele figured to make a major impact.
Meanwhile, here's how Tufele's USC teammates have reacted to the news:
