LOS ANGELES — Pro day is all about measurables. How much does a player weigh? How fast can he run?
Seventeen USC football players convened at Katherine B. Loker Track Stadium on Thursday afternoon to test their bodies and prove their worth to scouts from all 32 NFL teams. On a more sentimental level, it was also one final chance to be together as teammates.
“It’s a family,” offensive lineman J’Onre Reed told reporters. “It’s definitely a family. Just knowing that we all came in from different places and we’re all brothers now, it’s crazy. For me, it was only eight months and I have lifelong friends. That’s the beauty of it. Just coming in and meeting guys and people that you never thought – that might be at your wedding.”
Even former Trojans showed out. Chicago Bears quarterback and former 2024 No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams was in attendance to support former teammates Thursday, and former NFL wide receiver and Biletnikoff winner Marquis Lee made an appearance.
Quarterback Sam Huard, a redshirt senior on this coming season’s team, threw passes to wide receivers Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane, Jay Fair and Jaden Richardson and tight end Lake McRee.
Lemon, who was also tested at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis at the end of February, is expected to be the first Trojan drafted in April, likely in the first round.
“This is home turf,” Lemon said of being back at USC for pro day. “I’m most comfortable out here, great weather out here, just wanted to come out here and showcase my ability and what I can do on the field.”
Aside from showing his route-running abilities, Lemon recorded a time of 4.46 seconds in the 40-yard dash that surpassed his previous best of 4.48.
Fair had the fastest 40 time of the day at 4.43. Others who ran in 4.5 seconds or less included cornerbacks DJ Harvey (4.46) and DeCarlos Nicholson (4.5).
Fair traveled to Dallas for his pro day training, and did it while completing his degree at USC. He flew to Texas on Thursdays to train, then back to campus on Mondays for a week of classes.
“A lot of people are kind of asking me,” Fair said, “are you getting drained? Are you getting tired? But at this point, when you have everything in front of you that you want, it doesn’t really matter what lengths you’re willing to go to if it’s something that you want to accomplish.”
Eric Gentry, who was the tallest linebacker at the NFL Combine at 6-foot-6, completed all six events Thursday and weighed in at 228 pounds. Even though that’s not far off from where he weighed while at USC, teammates said they noticed a physical change.
Gentry had a team-best 35½-inch vertical jump and was second-best in the broad jump at 10 feet, 4 inches.
Lane, who is expected to be selected in the draft, participated in the bench press in addition to catching passes.
The receiver decided to forgo his senior year of college football in order to declare for the draft and wants to be known as a good teammate throughout the process.
“I’m very, very selfless,” Lane said. “Probably the best teammate, not probably – the best teammate in the draft. Being able to have that behind my name is just everything. I prioritize being a good person rather than just a good football player.”
Other participants at pro day were safety Bishop Fitzgerald, punter Sam Johnson, defensive end Anthony Lucas, long snapper Hank Pepper, safety Kamari Ramsey, running back Eli Sanders, defensive tackle Keeshawn Silver and class of 2024 linebacker Mason Cobb.
Fitzgerald, Gentry, Lane, Lemon, Lucas, McRee and Ramsey had all received combine invites.
Offensive lineman DJ Wingfield also tested in all six events despite not playing this past season after the NCAA had ruled that Wingfield, who transferred to USC from Purdue, was out of eligibility.
“Him coming in, expecting to have a season and not really having a season – man, I still saw that guy every day,” Fair said, “working out, just doing everything he could to stay in shape and be prepared for this moment right here, so seeing him out here today, it was a blessing for him to be able to come out here and do this.”