Tag: trojans in the nfl

See where Nickell Robey-Coleman ranks among NFL slot defenders

Touchdown Wire is ranking the top-11 players at each position in the NFL, and former USC Trojan DB Nickell Robey-Coleman is on the list.

With NFL training camps set to get started this week, despite the looming presence of COVID-19 all across the country, the fine folks at Touchdown Wire began ranking the top-11 players at each position.

The USC Trojans have put a handful of excellent players into the NFL, and it appears they have a few who will be labeled among the best at their position.

The first is nickel cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who came in at No. 6 among slot cornerbacks, according to Doug Farrar.

Robey-Coleman brings excellent anticipation to his game — he can sniff out a screen and blow it up as the ball’s being thrown — and he’s also outstanding in man and match coverage with his pattern-reading and route follow-through. Robey-Coleman has played for the Rams over the last three seasons, but the Eagles picked him in free agency on an absolute steal of a deal — one year, $1.35 million. Along with Darius Slay, Robey-Coleman should do a lot to redefine Philadelphia’s secondary.

Last season, Robey-Coleman allowed 32 catches on 52 targets for 272 yards, 144 yards after catch, one touchdown, and an opponent passer rating of just 80.1.

The Eagles will certainly be more than happy with the production they get from Robey-Coleman, especially on an affordable contract. NFL contracts have not caught up with the importance of nickel corners, meaning they can be had at a bargain – particularly for teams who use their nickel sets frequently.

Robey-Coleman recorded 107 tackles and seven interceptions while at USC from 2010-2012, before joining the Bills as an undrafted free agent.

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Pair of former USC Trojans among NFL’s top-80 players

Tackle Tyron Smith and defensive end Jurrell Casey were each chosen among the 80 best players in the NFL by their peers.

The NFL is releasing their top-100 players heading into the 2020 season, as voted on by the players themselves.

So far the league has released 71-100 and a pair of former USC Trojans, defensive end Jurrell Casey and left tackle Tyron Smith, have been selected.

Smith came in at No. 78 overall, his seventh consecutive year showing up on the list, after once again proving to be an elite pass protector in 2019. Smith allowed just one sack in 13 games played last year with Dallas.

He is a seven-time Pro Bowler and was a member of the 2010’s All-Decade Team, no doubt cementing himself among the best tackles the game has ever seen, and one of the best USC Trojans to play in the NFL.

Casey came in at No. 71 overall. Entering his first season with the Broncos, Casey will look to make his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance in 2020.

He has solidified himself as one of the most reliable, dependant players at his position over the last decade, playing in 139 of a possible 144 games and racking up 51 sacks and 115 quarterback hits.

There are still 70 players to go, and a handful of other former USC stars could find themselves listed among the best of the best as the rest of the list comes out this week.

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See the bold prediction a league insider made about Sam Darnold

NFL.com writer Marc Sessler named former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold as a potential first time Pro Bowler in 2020.

It’s not uncommon to see NFL analysts predicting a breakout season for former USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold. After all, he is entering his third season, he has a revamped offensive line and a few new weapons on offense, and he showed promise toward the end of the 2019 campaign.

However, NFL.com writer Marc Sessler took that to another level, naming Darnold as a potential Pro Bowler for the 2020 season.

Darnold’s third campaign is tremendously important in the category of public perception. We’ve seen the Jets signal-caller shine in a handful of games, but also underwhelm behind a grisly O-line. Drafting Mekhi Becton at left tackle was a coup. Better protection alone could transform Darnold’s fortunes, but will it be enough? Adam Gase was hired to mold his young passer into a burning star. Anything less could mean curtains for the embattled coach.

Darnold has steadily improved from his disppointing rookie season in 2018, and a full, healthy season with better protection up front could be what the youngster needs to take the next step and develop into a star in year three.

Whether it results in a Pro Bowl nod remains to be seen, but there is reason for optimism around Darnold in 2020.

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2 former USC Trojans among NFL’s best slot receivers

JuJu Smith-Schuster and Robert Woods are among the NFL’s leaders in yards after the catch out of the slot, according to Pro Football Focus.

Although they have primarily been recognized for their success in molding quarterbacks and linebackers at the next level, the USC Trojans have had their fair share of elite wide receivers in the NFL as well – particularly in recent years.

In fact, USC has produced a pair of the best slot receivers currently playing professionally in Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster and LA’s Robert Woods.

A recent graphic from Pro Football Focus highlighted the slot receivers who average the most yards after the catch, and Smith-Schuster and Woods rank first and third, respectively, since 2018.

Although Smith-Schuster had a down 2019 season, thanks in part to injuries and also the absence of Ben Roethlisberger, he has totaled 1,978 yards since 2018 – an average of 12.9 yards per reception.

Woods is entering his seventh NFL season, and his fourth with the Rams. He has been a very solid performer throughout his career, but he really turned things on the past two years – topping 85 receptions and 1,000 yards for the first time in his career in 2018, and doing it again in 2019.

Assuming health, both Smith-Schuster and Woods should be among the league’s best wide receivers in 2020, and will no doubt be near the top of the leaderboard in yards after the catch out of the slot once again.

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A look at Michael Pittman Jr.’s surprisingly low Madden rating

The rookie wide receiver ratings are out for Madden 2021, and former USC Trojan Michael Pittman Jr. has some complaining to do.

The NFL season is nearly upon us, and the Madden 2021 ratings are beginning to get released. That included new rookie ratings at quarterback and wide receiver, revealing how the game will value former USC Trojans wideout Michael Pittman, Jr.

Pittman, now with the Indianapolis Colts after getting selected 34th overall, was given an overall grade of 71 by Madden, tying him with Devin Duvernay of the Ravens and Tee Higgins of the Bengals.

There are seven receivers ahead of Pittman, including former PAC-12 foes Brandon Aiyuk and Lavishka Shenault, who each earned a 72 rating.

That is a bit surprising considering most people predict Pittman will produce numbers among the top-5, or even top-3, rookie receivers in 2020. The vertical threat joins a pass-heavy offense in Indianapolis, led by head coach Frank Reich and veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.

Of course, Madden ratings don’t equate to predicted performance, and Pittman’s numbers will almost certainly change as the season goes on – ideally for the better.

Stay tuned for Austin Jackson’s ratings, which will come out when Madden releases their rookie offensive line ratings later this month.

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Trojans in the NFL: Zach Banner uses Twitter to fight anti-semitism

Pittsburgh Steelers tackle Zach Banner spoke out against Desean Jackson’s anti-semitic remarks on his Twitter account Wednesday evening.

USC Trojans alumni Zach Banner, now a tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, took to Twitter on Wednesday to speak out against Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s anti-semitic comments made earlier in the week.

“We shouldn’t be blind to other groups’ history, traditions and other stuff they have gone through, some of the things that have set them back,” said Banner, who emphasized the importance of education. “If you don’t know what the Holocaust is, you’re really just failing yourself.”

Banner was one of the first players to publicly speak out against Jackson’s comments, which helped make the video was a massive hit, garnering over 700,000 views.

“I just needed to be able to post something,” Banner told USC officials. “I could never imagine it was going to get this much attention….To be able to uplift anybody, and be able to make someone’s day, one individual is okay to me, but when that love is appreciated worldwide, it’s almost too much, because I am just so proud of not only myself but when I do something like that, but I’m representing my friends.”

Banner has done more than just post videos, however, as his B3 Foundation received a ton of financial support following his message – garnering over $50,000 in donations since Wednesday. The B3 Foundation supports youth in Tacoma, Los Angeles and Guam.

Banner, who earned a degree in sociology from USC before getting selected in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL draft, is continuing to interact with folks about social issues on his Twitter account.

“I’m ready for that challenge,” Banner continued. “To be able to stand in solidarity with the Jewish community as I am also trying to uplift my own through the Black Lives Matter, and the Black and brown people.”

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Matt Barkley accidentally taken second overall in fantasy draft

Matt Barkley gave props to a fantasy football player who accidentally drafted him second overall instead of running back Saquon Barkley.

For the most novice fantasy football player to those who play in expert leagues, it’s always imperative to strike gold with your first round pick.

Usually a running back or a wide receiver, at least in most formats, your first pick needs to anchor your team with consistent performances throughout the season if you want to have any chance of winning your league and taking money off your family, friends and/or co-workers.

While taking a quarterback in the first round is generally frowned upon, taking a journeyman backup quarterback will generally get you booted from the league – or heavily ridiculed, like the situation for William Jordan Ennis.

Ennis was invited to participate in the famous “Scott Fish Bowl” fantasy football league – one of the most prominent fantasy leagues in existence.

Sporting the No. 2 pick, Ennis watched as Christian McCaffrey came off the board, setting him up to take Giants running back Saquon Barkley.

However, in a mistake that will likely haunt him for a while, Ennis accidentally selected former USC Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley – who is now a backup quarterback with the Buffalo Bills.

While Barkley is almost certainly not going to contribute much, if anything, to Ennis’ squad – he at least gave him a shoutout on Twitter for the gaffe.

Barkley looked like a future fantasy star during his time with the Trojans, but he has served instead as a journeyman backup in the NFL – completing 27 passes for 359 yards and zero touchdowns last season as Josh Allen’s primary backup.

This year he will compete with rookie Jake Fromm for the same role, and while he’s likely to win out he is almost certainly not worth a look in any fantasy format – and not as the second overall pick, regardless of the props you will get from him on social media.

For a look at which former Trojans you should target in fantasy football leagues, click here.

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USC ranked among top-10 schools for offensive linemen

The USC Trojans came in at No. 8 on NFL.com’s ranking of offensive linemen in the NFL by school.

NFL.com is continuing their ‘Pipeline to Pros’ series, which determines what schools have been the best at producing NFL talent at any given position over the last 20 years.

The USC Trojans have had a solid start in the series, as they were tops on the list at quarterback, and fared well at wide receiver as well.

Now, they have come in at No. 8 overall in the offensive line rankings, sandwiched between Florida and Miami.

The criteria gives each team a point total, which are awarded based on initial NFL Draft position (e.g. 10 points for being a Top 10 pick), a quarterback’s rookie season (e.g. one points for every regular-season start) and their NFL career between two-to-five seasons (e.g. five points for a league MVP).

USC’s ranking was thanks in large part to the careers of Tyron Smith and Matt and Ryan Kalil – who garnered over one-third of USC’s total points – as well as the recent selection of Austin Jackson in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.

Jackson was the first USC lineman picked in the first round since Matt Kalil in 2012.

USC should continue to dominate these rankings at nearly every position, showing off their acument for developing NFL talent across the board over the last two decades.

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See why USC deemed ‘Linebacker University’ by Bleacher Report

The USC Trojans have the distinct honor of being the best school for linebackers, according to Bleacher Report.

Bleacher Report is continuing ‘Position U Week’, their series labeling which schools have produced the most talent in the NFL at each position.

And while USC will do favorably at the quarterback position, they officially won the title of Linebacker University, edging out the Miami Hurricanes who boast a pair of Hall of Famers in Ray Lewis and Ted Hendricks.

USC’s win was more quantity based, although they get a huge boost from 12-time Pro Bowler Junior Seau, as well as Clay Matthews Jr. and Clay Matthews III – who went to a combined 10 Pro Bowls among them.

Other big name linebackers include Jack Del Rio, who is a candidate for the College Football Hall of Fame, Brian Cushing, and Lofa Tatupu.

All-in-all, USC has 12 linebackers who have been to at least one Pro Bowl, giving them far more depth than any other school – and more than enough to win the coveted title of ‘Linebacker University’.

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