LOOK: Heavy rain impacting USC Pro Day, floods outdoor track for 40-yard dash

USC football’s Pro Day is on Tuesday. There, the Trojans are showcasing 15 different players, including several who are expected to be NFL Draft picks. Except, USC is being forced to host this event in the rain due to indoor facilities that can’t accommodate the event.

The essential issue, besides the fact that the weather is poor, is that USC’s indoor practice facility is too small for the 40-yard dash and other drills. So, they have to be held on the outdoor field that is unfortunately flooded.

You can look at the flooded field, here:

The field is basically a lake right now and the indoor facility is apparently not long enough for a 40 so they have to do it out here.

So I guess just be advised that whatever 40 times you see coming out of this pro day are not exactly in advantageous conditions. pic.twitter.com/etpNL96sIY

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 21, 2023

Essentially, field conditions like that make everyone’s 40-yard dash times meaningless. After all, it’s not really possible to compare something that’s supposed to be so precise when some times are run in ideal conditions but the Trojans had to go through puddles.

Some big names for USC decided not to bother running at all. Most notably, Jordan Addison and Tuli Tuipulotu have decided against running, per Brett Kollmann. However, Addison was seen running routes outdoors.

WR Jordan Addison, predicted to go No. 20 in @MoveTheSticks latest mock draft, is here at USC Pro Day running routes in the rain. pic.twitter.com/ta6zCXmL6m

— Bridget Condon (@BridgetCondon_) March 21, 2023

Of course, it’s not the name-brand players like Jordan Addison who are going to be most impacted by these poor conditions. It’s the borderline players who are struggling to prove they can compete at the next level that are going to most be hampered by this weather.

In total, USC has 15 players competing at its Pro Day; Jordan Addison, Mekhi Blackmon, Terrell Bynum, Micah Croom, Travis Dye, Josh Falo, Mo Hasan, Bobby Haskins, Erik Krommenhoek, Vavae Malepeai, Brett Neilon, Brandon Outlaw, Brandon Pili, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Andrew Vorhees. However, Vorhees is limited after suffering an ACL injury at the NFL Combine.

Jordan Addison is a likely first-round pick

Jordan Addison transferred from Pitt to USC last season. This year, he will likely be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

CBS Sports expects Addison to go 15th overall to the Green Bay Packers. However, CBS Sports isn’t alone, with several other mock drafts expecting him to go in the middle of the first round. That includes Mel Kiper Jr’s most recent mock draft, which sees Addison going 25th to the New York Giants.

A large part of why teams are so high on Jordan Addison is his pure athleticism. He showed that off at the NFL Combine. There, he had an excellent 40-yard dash time. He ran a 4.49, which was among the fastest of the wide receivers at the combine.