Former Trojans excel in NFL showings


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Ex-USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown catches the ball in front of a UCLA defender.
Former USC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was selected in the fourth round by the Detroit Lions in the 2021 NFL Draft. (Tucker Judkins | Daily Trojan file photo)

This NFL season has been up and down for former USC players. Some have been standouts, others have continued past success and a handful have been derailed because of injuries. This season alone, Rams wide receiver Robert Woods tore his ACL, Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold hurt his shoulder and Steelers wide receiver Juju ​​Smith-Schuster dislocated his shoulder. Still, a few former Trojans stood out in Week 9 of the NFL season, helping their respective teams compete for a playoff position.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga 

In a surprising blowout win against potential Super Bowl contender Los Angeles Rams at home, Talanoa Hufanga racked up some important stops on the defensive end against a Rams team that has the second-most passing yards this season. Hufanga racked up 3 tackles and 1 pass defended. All 3 of his tackles were solo. This puts Hufanga’s season totals at 17 total tackles, 12 solo tackles and 1 pass deflected. 

Hufanga has jumped up to the NFL pace quickly, already playing a big role in San Francisco’s secondary. In the 49ers’ past three games, Hufanga played every defensive snap.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown

The Lions picked up their first non-loss in a tie away against the Steelers after a chaotic overtime period. In this matchup, Amon-Ra St. Brown had 4 receptions on 6 targets to rack up a total of 61 yards for the day. He averaged 15.3 yards per reception and his longest catch went for 30 yards. His ability as a deep threat helped diversify a struggling Lions offense. St. Brown is now at 311 receiving yards on the season with 31 receptions, averaging around 10 yards per reception. St. Brown has not scored a touchdown.

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

In the Indianapolis Colts’ most recent win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Pittman Jr. pulled in all 5 of his targets for a total of 71 yards. He averaged 14.2 yards per catch with the longest reception going for 27 yards. Pittman Jr. is continuing a breakout season for the Colts, and the Jaguars game marked the fifth time he has gone over 70 yards in a game this season. His 72.4% catching rate on the year puts him above notable receivers such as DeAndre Hopkins and Justin Jefferson.

Pittman Jr.’s totals on the season put him in good company. His 55 receptions and 5 touchdowns are tied for the 11th most and 12th most in the NFL, respectively. He ranks highest in total receiving yards with 729 -— the ninth most in the league this season. 

Left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker

As the No. 14 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Alijah Vera-Tucker looks to help a struggling New York Jets offensive line. Despite the Jets suffering a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, Vera-Tucker continues to develop and has played every offensive snap this season. Even in the loss, the Jets offensive line allowed only 1 sack throughout the game. According to Pro Football Focus, Vera-Tucker has only allowed 1 sack on 613 snaps this season. That snap total puts him tied for 15th most snaps amongst guards.