Is USC wide receiver U? Former Trojans had big seasons in the NFL

Four former USC wide receivers finished in the top 30 in receiving yards in the NFL this season

USC has produced its fair share of talented NFL wide receivers over the years and once again, the Trojans were well-represented in the pros at the wide out spot in 2022. 

Four former USC wide receivers finished in the top 30 in receiving yards in the NFL this season:

• The Lions' Amon-Ra St. Brown had 1,161 yards, which ranked 11th in the NFL. 

• JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Kansas City Chiefs had 933 receiving yards, which ranked 24th. 

• The Colts' Michael Pittman Jr. ended the year with 925 receiving yards, which ranked 25th. 

• Atlanta Falcons' rookie Drake London had 866 receiving yards, which ranked 30th.

Of the top 30 receivers, USC was the most represented school along with Alabama, who also had four receivers listed. 

With Jordan Addison declaring for the NFL Draft, USC will most likely have a wide receiver selected in the first round for the second year in a row following London's selection at No. 8 a year ago. 

SI released a mock draft last week that predicts Addison will be picked by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 21 overall. In that mock draft, Addison was the third wide receiver taken. 

If Addison is indeed selected in the first round this year, that would give USC back-to-back first-round wide receivers for the first time since 1993-94 when Curtis Conway and Johnnie Morton were selected.

THE LINCOLN RILEY EFFECT

USC will always be an attractive destination for wide receivers with Lincoln Riley at the helm. This year, the Trojans added one of the top transfer wide receivers in Arizona's Dorian Singer. USC's 2023 recruiting class is also loaded with receiver talent — 247Sports.com ranks incoming freshmen Zachariah Branch and Makai Lemon as top 40 prospects nationally.

Expect to continue to see former Trojans catching passes in the NFL for years to come.