USC players to compete in NFL Combine

Seven USC football players will participate in the NFL Combine from Friday, Feb. 20 to Monday, Feb. 23. The players will take part in interviews and be further evaluated by being put through a variety of drills, specific to their position. Types of these drills include the 40-yard dash, bench press and vertical jump.

Players who have been invited to partipate in the combine hope to increase their draft stock and in turn, thei chances of playing professional football in the NFL.

Defensive end Leonard Williams, wide receiver Nelson Agholor, linebackers Hayes Pullard and J.R. Tavai, running back Javorius “Buck” Allen, cornerback Josh Shaw and tight end Randall Telfer will represent the Trojans. The seven USC players tie Oregon for most in the Pac-12.

On-field workouts will be split up by position over the four days. Specialists, offensive linemen and tight ends will work out on Friday; quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs on Saturday; defensive linemen and linebackers take the field on Sunday; and defensive backs work out Monday.

Williams is the most highly touted prospect of the group, sitting at No. 1 on Mel Kiper’s Big Board. He entered the 2014-2015 season as one of the likely candidates to go No. 1 and has decisions off the field, despite being a promising prospect in the secondary.

Shaw recorded only 12 tackles in the three games he played, but he had 119 tackles and six interceptions in his collegiate career with USC and Florida.

Pullard and Tavai are both coming off strong seasons and look to improve their draft stock. Pullard led the Trojans with 95 tackles last season, 5.5 of them for loss. Tavai fiwnished with 53 total tackles, 13.5 for loss, and his seven sacks tied Williams for most on the team. Both are projected as mid-round picks.

Telfer finished with 21 receptions for 197 yards and two touchdowns. He’s projected to be drafted in the last couple rounds.

Updated results and recaps will be available on the USC RipsIt Twitter feed and blog.