USC is one of the top suppliers of NFL talent

LOS ANGELES -- It used to be called Pro Timing Day and it didn't create much of a stir on USC's campus.

The only people who seemed to get excited about it were the players, who had to run and jump, then get measured, tested and interrogated by NFL talent evaluators.

That all changed two years ago, when fans filled the bleachers at USC's track stadium to see Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush work out. Overnight, Pro Day was a spectacle.

Because the Trojans combined it with their Junior Day, the NCAA thought it was an unfair recruiting advantage. It stepped in and forced the school to close the workouts to the public.

Now, the only people lining the sidelines are about 150 NFL people and members of the media. The only people in the stands are the players' families and a few dozen USC students.

Still, it's an event no NFL team can afford to skip. This year's Pro Day was like a Middle Eastern bazaar. Teams could find almost anything they wanted, from a strong-armed quarterback (John David Booty) to a menacing nose tackle (Sedrick Ellis).

Saturday's draft will have a heavy USC flavor: Three Trojans are viewed as likely first-rounders; six are projected to go among the first 60 picks. USC sent more players to this year's Senior Bowl (nine) and to the NFL scouting combine (12) than any other school.

Thick as the Trojans' outgoing talent is, Coach Pete Carroll doesn't necessarily think it will have the greatest impact of any of his classes at the next level.

Carroll goes back to 2003, when Carson Palmer went No. 1 overall, Troy Polamalu went No. 16 overall and Justin Fargas went No. 96. While Leinart and Bush still struggle to make their impact on the league, those guys have become stalwarts.

"I don't know how you could ever do better than Carson and Fargas and Troy in the same year," Carroll said. "You've got the two highest-paid guys at their position, and Justin's doing pretty well, too."

The fact that you can debate which USC class will have the biggest NFL impact is pleasant news for Carroll. He inherited a program that averaged three drafted players a year and now gets an average of nearly seven players taken.

A national magazine is working on an article about USC's impact on the NFL, a story Carroll said he will be sure to carry with him on the recruiting trail.

"I would think it would help some," Carroll said. "It makes sense, you know?"

The 2008 USC draft class has a more blue-collar feel than the 2006 group. The two most highly regarded players by NFL scouts are Ellis and linebacker Keith Rivers, both widely projected as top 15 picks. Tight end Fred Davis also is considered the best player at his position and might slip into the first round.

Some of the players figure to be ecstatic with their selection and others likely will be disappointed. Ellis's hope is to go to the Oakland Raiders at No. 4, though most people consider it more likely that he will go around No. 9 or 10.

"I grew up my whole life wanting to be in the draft. You kind of wish you'll go as high as possible," Ellis said. "Nobody ever thinks coming out of high school, 'OK, I can be the No. 5 or 10 pick.' When that flashed across the screen, it was kind of surreal."

Booty is hoping to avoid a letdown by downplaying the moment. He said he likely will be hitting golf balls at a driving range when his name is called. He'll wait for the phone call from whatever team takes him.

Booty thought his workout with the Atlanta Falcons went particularly well, so perhaps he'll be headed back to his native South.

"I'm not making a big deal of it," Booty said. "I'll be happy wherever I go and excited about the opportunity to try and make a team."

Further down the pecking order, tailback Chauncey Washington, USC's leading rusher the past two seasons, is simply hoping to be drafted. Some teams have questions about him because he missed two seasons while academically ineligible.

Washington might have opened some eyes with a blazing 40-yard dash time of 4.35 seconds at Pro Day.

"I just want to play, to be honest," Washington said. "This is so much hype and it's been a long, long, long road for this goal. I just want it to be over with. The stress is gone. I did everything I can."

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