Vera-Tucker confirms high draft status during pro day

All 32 NFL teams were present at USC’s pro day on Wednesday, with six Trojans to evaluate ahead of next month’s draft.

The headliner of the group was offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, projected by most analysts to go among the first 20 picks this spring.

Vera-Tucker impressed during the testing section of the day, running a 51.-second 40-yard dash and benching 225 pounds 36 times, per NFL Network. While Vera-Tucker played left tackle for USC as a junior, his arm measurements at 32 1/8 inches likely have him evaluated as a guard.

Tufele returns

It’s been over a year since we saw defensive tackle Jay Tufele on the field at USC. He was the lone player to opt out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL Draft, a decision motivated by concerns over COVID-19, especially after his sister, Noreen, went to the ICU with a severe case of the virus.

With his sister now on the mend, Tufele expressed no regrets over his decision to opt out of the season during a Zoom press conference on Monday, though he admitted it was difficult to watch the team from afar during the season.

“The weirdest part is realizing that you’re no longer on the field. You’re no longer part of the team but now you’re a fan,” said Tufele, adding it was fun to see underclassmen step up in his place. “I love what I do, and seeing these younger guys and seeing how passionate they are about the game, it makes me so happy because I know USC is in good hands.”

Tufele has been working out at Proactive Sports Performance in Santa Ana, focusing on improving his core strength with the hopes of increasing his stamina and speed.

He showed that at pro day, running a 4.97-second 40-yard dash in addition to 30 reps on the bench press.

Defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu also benched 30 times, but was limited to just a 10-yard dash due to a hamstring strain he suffered during training a few weeks ago.

Other pro day notes

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown set goals for himself prior to pro day, wanting to bench 25 reps and run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range. He fell short of both marks, with a 4.51 40-yard dash and 20 bench reps. But he showed off his athleticism with a 38.5-inch vertical leap and 10-foot-7 broad jump.

St. Brown and fellow receiver Tyler Vaughns caught passes from USC quarterback Kedon Slovis during the field drills.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga ran a 4.61 40-yard dash.

Cornerback Olaijah Griffin was absent from pro day after testing positive for COVID-19, writing on Twitter that he believed it to be a false positive due to several negative tests following the initial positive.

But he still was not allowed to participate due to local health regulations, and instead will have his own pro day at USC on April 5 or 6.