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USC Football: Trojan Weight Room Video

Nice timing with the Cushing news heh.

USC Dominates 2009 NFL Draft with 11 Players Taken

Final list of players drafted:

1st Round, 5th:  Mark Sanchez, QB - NY Jets

1st Round, 15th:  Brian Cushing, OLB - Houston Texans

1st Round, 26th:  Clay Matthews, OLB - Green Bay Packers

2nd Round, 6th:  Rey Maualuga, ILB - Cincinnati Bengals

2nd Round, 24th:  Fili Moala, DT - Indianapolis Colts

3rd Round, 23rd:  Patrick Turner, WR - Miami Dolphins

4th Round, 4th:  Kaluka Maiava, OLB - Cleveland Browns

4th Round, 17th:  Kyle Moore, DE - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5th Round, 36th:  David Buehler, K - Dallas Cowboys

6th Round, 10th:  Cary Harris, CB - Buffalo Bills

6th Round, 16th:  Kevin Ellison, SS - San Diego Chargers

USC led the way with 11 players taken; Ohio State had the 2nd most with 7 players.  Coach Herm Edwards had this to say about SC:

"If you want to play pro football and you're a young high school athlete, you know going to USC is going to give you the best opportunity system-wise and competitive-wise on the field."

"That's what USC brings to the table. That's why historically, year-after-year you see all these players coming into the league. Do they all make it? No, but you have an opportunity."

Take note recruits ;-).

Photo of the Day: Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, and Clay Matthews on Cover of Sports Illustrated

H/T to LATimes.com.

USC Pro Day: Rey Makes Up for Combine Performance

photo from uscripsit.com

From USCRipsIt.com:

- LB Brian Cushing: 4.67 and 4.73
- S Kevin Ellison: 4.75
- CB Cary Harris: 4.68
- LB Kaluka Maiava: 4.66 and 4.68
- LB Clay Matthews: 4.58
- LB Rey Maualuga: 4.69
- DE Kyle Moore: 4.77
- WR Patrick Turner: 4.59

Biggest gain today was from Rey who ran a 40-time that was clocked between high 4.5's to low 4.7's. This was a big improvement over his disappointing showing at the NFL combine where he tweaked his hamstring during the run.

Cary Harris once again struggled with the 40, but Todd McShay said it was due to a knee injury.  I agree with Todd, and most SC fans, that Cary and Kevin Ellison are two picks that will go late due to their less-than-spectacular results at the work-outs, but prove to be ballers at the next level.

Looks like Mark, Cush, Rey, and Clay have solidified themselves as 1st round picks, which will make 2009 the 2nd year in a row that SC will produce 4 players in the 1st round.  That streak could possibly continue next year with Taylor Mays, Shareece Wright, Damian Williams, and a guy like Charles Brown if he can put together a great year.

Matthew Stafford Beats Mark Sanchez on Wonderlic Test

From ChicagoTribune.com:

Quarterbacks: With his pro day workout last week, Georgia's Matthew Stafford showed himself to be in a class by himself, and he also was in a class by himself among the top quarterbacks with regards to the Wonderlic. He scored 38. USC's Mark Sanchez scored 28 and Kansas State's Josh Freeman 27. All are acceptable scores for quarterbacks.

Linebackers: Three linebackers from USC could be chosen in the first round, but probably not in the order of their Wonderlic scores. Clay Matthews scored 27, Brian Cushing 23 and Rey Maualuga 15. Maualuga's score is slightly troubling considering he likely will be a middle linebacker who is asked to call the defenses.

Stafford's 38 is pretty impressive.  A few years back I remember a sample Wonderlic test was posted online and it wasn't necessarily the questions that were difficult rather how quickly you had to answer them.  I'm surprised Mark scored less than 30 considering he's always been a great student.

CNNSI.com's Post-NFL Combine Mock Draft: 4 Trojans in 1st Round

From CNNSI.com:

5.  Rey Maualuga, LB
- The Browns top need is for a pass-rushing outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense, but I'm hearing that new Browns general manager George Kokinis is wary of Brian Orakpo's penchant for injury -- he pulled a hamstring at the combine -- not to mention Texas' less-than-stellar track record of producing great NFL players. Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji is a name to remember for the Browns, but Maualuga would add some presence to the Browns lineup.

8.  Mark Sanchez, QB
- Don't be shocked if the Jaguars take a quarterback, because after David Garrard's so-so 2008 season, he's far from untouchable as Jacksonville's starter. I talked with someone within the league Tuesday who assured me the Jaguars have Sanchez graded higher than Georgia's Matthew Stafford, even though most personnel men have them the other way around. The Jags' minds could change after Stafford throws at his pro day, but for now we're sticking with Sanchez.

12.  Brian Cushing, LB
- As they join the crowd and switch to the 3-4 defensive formation, the Broncos look to be beyond the range of many of their most prized targets, like Curry, Arakpo, Raji, Jenkins and Maybin. We're giving them Cushing, but don't forget about his fellow ex-Trojans outside linebacker, Clay Matthews, who came out of combine week with a sense of momentum behind him.

27.  Clay Matthews, LB
- The Colts could take a polished and pro-ready receiver like Hakeem Nicks in this slot, but Matthews is a prospect who generated some momentum for himself at the combine and exited the week with a first-round grade in the eyes of many teams. The Colts are known for actually taking the best player available in the first round, rather than being limited by need.

Pretty solid mock draft in my opinion; it's worth viewing all the picks and the surprise (or not so) #1.

Interesting to hear Jacksonville has gone against the grain in grading Sanchez above Stafford.  Could it possibly be due to Jack Del Rio's closer connection with SC as a former player?  Not saying he's showing favoritism; I'm wondering if he's showing preference based on something he's heard or seen directly from the SC coaching staff.  Certainly a possibility.

Video: Brian Cushing Goes Back to Roots to Train for NFL Draft (aka Dirty Jerz)

Nice video from NFL.com looking at Brian Cushing's decision to go back to his hometown of Bergen, NJ to train for the NFL combine.  Brian talks about his blue-collar work ethic and mentality prepping for the draft. 

USC Leads the Way With 12 Invitees to NFL Combine

Here's the list of invitees:

Mark Sanchez - QB
Brian Cushing - OLB
Rey Maualuga - ILB/MLB
Clay Matthews Jr. - WDE/OLB
Kevin Ellison - SS
Cary Harris - CB
Kaluka Maiava - OLB
Fili Moala - DT
Kyle Moore - DE
Josh Pinkard - CB/FS
Patrick Turner - WR
David Buehler - Kicker

The list above is just ridiculous.  Every player on there (minus David Buehler) has a shot at being a 1st day pick.  Digging deeper, you have 5 potential 1st rounders in Mark, Cush, Rey, Clay, and Fili plus three legitimate sleeper picks in Kevin Ellison, Kaluka Maiava, and Cary Harris.  Both PT and Kyle Moore can be solid contributors if placed in the right situations; Kyle was actually a surprise performer at the Senior Bowl.

As for Josh Pinkard, he's made his intentions clear that he'll return for his 6th year if he is granted eligilibity by the NCAA.  If Josh comes back, he'll likely start in the FS role alongside Taylor Mays who is looking to play closer to the line.  In Nickle packages, we'd see Josh slide over and Will Harris step in.  Considering Josh was once one of our more talented players on defense, he can definitely boost his draft stock with a solid injury-free season.

Senior Bowl Notes

From SportingNews.com:

Best first impression: LB Brian Cushing, an All-American from Southern Cal, showed up to the weigh-in cutting an imposing 6-3, 243-pound frame. However, he failed to impress in the same manner at practice.

Strongest man: DT Fili Moala, a 6-4 and 303-pounder from Southern Cal, stood out from the rest with his strength, at one point scooping up an offensive lineman and tossing him aside in a pass-rush drill.

Best catch: After struggling for much of the afternoon, WR Patrick Turner of Southern Cal laid out to haul in a badly overthrown pass.

Based on reports I've read, Clay Matthews and Brian Cushing's stock are rising; Rey has struggled in individual drills.  Fili seems to be a player that has something to prove during this week.  The knock on him is consistency and discipline.  He's a 1st day lock, but ranging anywhere between late 1st-mid 3rd.

One non-SC player that is getting a lot of praise is Alphonso Smith, the CB out of Wake Forest.  In almost every game I watched him in this past season, he flat out dominated.  Very good looking player that doesn't get enough credit. 

Pete Fiutak's Top 32 Pro Prospects for 2009

From FoxSports.com:

4. Rey Maualuga, LB USC

The Skinny: In a strange way, Maualuga might have been the top linebacker taken in the 2008 draft, but he might have been the least ready of all the top prospects. He can move, hit and, well, he can really, really hit. He's a top inside defender to potentially build a defense around.

12. Brian Cushing, LB USC

The Skinny: Injuries kept him from having a huge 2007, but with his all-around game and his potential to be effective in any scheme at any outside position, he's a lock to be a top 30 pick. He won't have the "wow" factor of Maualuga or Laurinaitis, but the NFL scouts will love him.

13. Taylor Mays, S USC (Jr.)

The Skinny: At 6-4 and 225 pounds, Mays hits like a linebacker and is as fast as any Trojan. He's been a playmaker from Day 1, especially against the run, and now he has to show he can do a bit more when the ball is in the air to solidify a spot in the top 20.

The #1 player on the list really makes it hard for me to take this ranking seriously.  I can see Mark Sanchez in the top 32 by the end of the year.  Yup, I'm still high on Mark.