USC LT Austin Jackson forgoing senior season to enter NFL draft
With USC left tackle Austin Jackson generating significant buzz as a potential first-round NFL draft pick, it was only logical that the leader of the Trojans' offensive line would turn pro and forgo his senior season.
And on Wednesday, Jackson made it official with an announcement on Twitter.
"USC has truly been such a special place to call home for the last three years," he wrote, while thanking head coach Clay Helton, his teammates and others. "... With that shared, I will be forgoing my senior year to pursue my lifelong dream of playing in the NFL."
Jackson, who allowed 4 sacks, 9 QB hurries and 1 QB hit this season according to PFF College, was USC's starting left tackle for the last two seasons and his athleticism for his size (6-foot-6, 310 pounds) has landed him in the first round of most early mock drafts.
The pre-draft process has a long way to go, of course, with the NFL Scouting Combine and pro days still ahead, but if Jackson were to be selected in the first round he'd be the first USC offensive lineman taken that high since Matt Kalil went fourth overall in 2012.
Jackson's departure, meanwhile, creates a significant void for the Trojans, who are also losing their starting right tackle as grad transfer Drew Richmond completed his eligibility this past season.
Depth was already a concern for USC up front, and how the coaching staff addresses those voids will be the biggest roster challenge heading into 2020.
The Trojans have some depth at guard, as Alijah Vera-Tucker had a breakout season at left guard as a redshirt sophomore, fellow redshirt sophomore Jalen McKenzie started at right guard this season but also saw some work at right tackle, Liam Jimmons performed well off the bench as a redshirt junior and started the Holiday Bowl at right guard, and Andrew Vorhees redshirted as a junior after an early-season foot injury.
McKenzie likely would get moved to tackle, considering he has at least some experience at the position, but how the Trojans fill the other tackle spot is anyone's guess at this point.
USC already had depth issues at the position, which is why it brought in Richmond as a grad transfer from Tennessee last spring.
USC's backup tackles this past season, redshirt junior Frank Martin and true freshman Jason Rodriguez, played 17 combined snaps all year, according to PFF College's data. Clayton Bradley, meanwhile, missed the season due to injury and entered the NCAA transfer portal last week with one year of eligibility remaining. And Bernard Schirmer, a third-string tackle, did not play any snaps as a redshirt junior.
Rodriguez was the only offensive tackle the Trojans signed in the 2019 recruiting class.
They signed six offensive linemen in their 2020 class, including 4-star prospect Jonah Monheim, but none are arriving until the summer and it's too soon to tell if any would be ready to claim a starting role immediately.
More likely, USC may have to take another look at the grad transfer market or get creative in reallocating its depth at guard.
Either way, it will be hard to replace the stability Jackson brought to the position.
As for other USC draft-eligible underclassmen, the other big decision still to come is from wide receiver Tyler Vaughns, who has not yet announced whether he'll be returning for his fifth year in the program.