USC hosted representatives from 31 of the 32 NFL teams Wednesday at Cromwell Field as the Trojans hosted their annual Pro Day.

Of the representatives, two head coaches, Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys and Hue Jackson of the Oakland Raiders, as well as three general managers came to scout USC’s talented prospects.

There were 19 participants, including graduating discus thrower Aaron Dan from the track and field team and former Trojan receiver Travon Patterson, who spent his senior season at Colorado. Fourteen Trojans participated in the 40-yard dash, including quarterback Mitch Mustain, running backs C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford and receiver Ronald Johnson.

Most participants also ran drills respective to their positions and for the most part, players fared well in showcasing their talent, including Mustain, who seemed to have much better mechanics than he has shown in previous performances with the Trojans.

Here are a few observations from USC Pro Day 2011.

Heberer pushes out 38 bench reps.

Zack Heberer, who may have been the least touted lineman in USC’s draft class this year, represented the offensive line well by posting 38 reps on the bench at 225 pounds. This would have tied for second most at the combine this year, behind only Oregon State's Stephen Paea and his record breaking 49 reps.

Other notable bench performances included 31 reps by offensive linemen Tyron Smith and Butch Lewis, 29 reps by defensive lineman Derek Simmons and 28 reps by linebackers Malcolm Smith and Michael Morgan. These boys have been taking their vitamins and saying their prayers at night, and it showed Wednesday.

Ausberry fastest Trojan on Pro Day.

David Ausberry, who was USC’s largest receiver at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds last season, posted an impressive 40-yard dash time of 4.46 seconds. Ausberry has always had a lot of potential but was never able to harness that potential at the right time, and was also hindered by nagging injuries.

His performance at Pro Day might do enough to make scouts take a second look at him because of his tremendous potential and upside (size and speed). Other notable times included outside linebackers Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith, who posted times of 4.47 and 4.51 respectively. Speedy wide receiver Ronald Johnson also posted a time of 4.49 seconds.

Injury concerns.

During the 40-yard dash timings, both Patterson and defensive tackle Jurrell Casey pulled up after hamstring tweaks. While Patterson did not continue, Casey was able to participate in the defensive line drills later.

Shareece Wright may have suffered an even worse fate then the two linemen. After passing on the 40-yard dash (he had previously run a 4.41 at the NFL combine), Wright participated in the linebacker and secondary drills. However, on a deep coverage drill, as Wright turned to flip his hips and accelerate, he went down. There was concern that Wright may have injured his knee, but the athletic department said later that it was a hamstring injury. However, he was unable to participate further and could potentially be labeled as being injury prone.

UPDATE: Wright said on his Facebook page Thursday that it was indeed a knee injury, but he also said it wasn't serious enough to require surgery.

Tyron is a beast.

Tyron Smith was the star of the show today. After having never played in college at a weight of higher than 285 pounds, Smith bulked up by adding 25 pounds to his already solid frame since the end of the fall season. Even more impressive, the behemoth showed in the offensive line drills that he has maintained his agility and quickness despite the added weight. Smith posted an electronic 40-yard dash time of five seconds flat and knocked out 31 reps of 225 pounds on the bench. Smith’s freakish build and athleticism make him the highest prospect out of this year’s draft class from USC.

Morgan exceeds expectations.

Michael Morgan surprised many scouts along with members of the media by posting the second fastest time in the 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds). He also posted a surprising 28 reps on the bench. Morgan, who played outside linebacker for the Trojans, was under most scouts' radar, but could his numbers make up for his unspectacular position drill performance?

Havili absent from Pro Day exercises.

 One notable player missing from Pro Day activities was fullback Stanley Havili. After only limited participation at the NFL scouting combine, Havili could have boosted his stock with a solid performance, but he is still recovering from shoulder surgery after sustaining an injury during the Notre Dame game. Havili is projected as the 2nd fullback prospect in the draft and could go anywhere from the second to the fifth round.

 

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To reach Victor Marticorena, click here, or follow him on Twitter @GrandpapaSports.

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