Trojans have inconsistent outings in NFL Week 5


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Former USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown carries the ball will a defender hangs on his legs.
Former receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has struggled to find his footing in his lone season with the Detroit Lions. (James Wolfe | Daily Trojan file photo)

Despite a 3-3 season, USC managed to maintain its talent development pipeline to the NFL, with 29 total Trojans currently on a roster. Let’s take a look at how some of USC’s premier football talent fared during the 2021 NFL Season. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown

One of four Trojans drafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is still looking for his first NFL touchdown and his first win through five weeks with the rebuilding Detroit Lions. Although he hasn’t gotten his name on the score sheet, St. Brown amounted 19 receptions and 178 yards while leading or tied for the most targets on the team in the last two weeks. 

During his time at USC, the 5 foot, 11 inch, 197-pound wide receiver made his living in the slot, a trend that continues in the NFL. His average foot speed and lack of physicality have proved a non-issue, with his crafty release techniques and excellent body control translating to the professional game. The fourth round pick will continue to see an uptick in targets as the Lions remain searching for a diamond in the rough. 

Juju Smith-Schuster

Disaster struck Sunday for the Trojan fan-favorite. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster dislocated his right shoulder and will undergo surgery later this week that is expected to sideline him for about four months. It will likely end his season. 

After a nine-touchdown campaign last year, it seemed as though Smith-Schuster was ready to take the leap as a No. 1 receiver on a championship contending team, but he struggled to start his 2021 season. The TikTok star only has one score — a rushing touchdown — while pulling in 15 receptions on 28 targets for 129 yards. 

Fans attributed Smith-Schuster’s struggles to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s play. The three-year Trojan could have some big decisions to make in the upcoming offseason, as his one-year contract with the Steelers comes to an end. Just 24 years old, Smith-Schuster will have suitors in free agency, but could see his market price drop because of his shoulder injury and lack of on-field production.

Everson Griffen

The oldest Trojan on this list, Pro-Bowl defensive end Everson Griffen was inserted back into the Minnesota Vikings starting lineup Sunday for the first time since the 2019 playoffs, and he did not disappoint. Griffen created havoc up front against the Detroit Lions offensive line, putting up a season-high six pressures and two sacks. 

Despite Griffin playing a season-high 49 snaps against the Lions, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer looks to preserve the dangerous edge rusher for the strenuous 17-game season, hoping to keep his snap count in 30-35 range. However, Zimmer might be unable to keep Griffin on the bench if the 33-year-old continues this level of production. 

Michael Pittman Jr.

The second-year wide receiver raised some eyebrows to begin his 2021 campaign but received even more national recognition this week after “Moss-ing” Baltimore Ravens cornerback Anthony Averett for his first touchdown of the season on Monday Night Football. 

Pittman Jr. finds himself in a similar situation to St. Brown — a talented receiver oozing with potential on a rebuilding team. After losing to the Ravens, the Colts dropped to 1-4 in a lackluster AFC South. Pittman Jr. will continue to put up impressive stats, but will truly take the leap to a top-tier receiver in the league when he can translate his production into wins.

Robert Woods

Something must be said of USC’s wide receiver coaching staff over the past decade, as it continues to develop and filter elite-level talent into the pros. The fourth wide receiver on this list, Woods exploded in Week 5 after a quiet start to kick off the 2021 season, pulling in 12 receptions for 150 yards in a 26-17 Los Angeles Rams win against division rival Seattle. 

Quarterback Matthew Stafford developed a slight dependency on Cooper Kupp this season, who amounted 37 receptions this season, tied for second in the entire league. Stafford, however, focused more on Woods against the Seahawks, with his season high in receptions in Week 5. Woods has had three straight seasons with at least 900 receiving yards. In an extremely tough NFC West with the undefeated Arizona Cardinals, the Rams are going to need an alert and engaged Woods to make it out of that division alive.