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Olaijah Griffin performs during delayed Pro Day

Erik-McKinneyby: Erik McKinney04/05/21ErikTMcKinney

Olaijah Griffin was unable to perform with his teammates during USC’s official pro day in late March due to a positive Covid test. As a result, Griffin was able to push his pro day back to Monday, where he took part in the NFL Combine testing and drills.

Griffin was the most surprising early declaration from the seven Trojans who made themselves eligible for the draft. He recorded just one interception in his three-year USC career, but Griffin said teams avoided throwing at him so much last season that he was ready to bet on himself and test himself at the next level.

Griffin checked in a 5-foot-11.5 and 176 pounds and performed all the running and jumping tests. He clocked a 4.53 40-yard dash, which would have placed him at No. 21 based on cornerback times from the 2020 NFL Combine. Three cornerbacks who ran slower than 4.53 were selected in last year’s draft, including first round pick Damon Arnette.

Griffin ran the shuttle in 4.38 seconds, which would have been the slowest of the cornerbacks at last year’s combine, but only 13 corners ran the shuttle drill. Griffin’s 3-cone drill time of 7.04 would have been No. 11 among corners last year.

Griffin totaled 22 tackles, an interception and four pass breakups in six games last season.

One of the items on the to-do list for the Trojans this spring is to find a field corner who can fill in for Griffin, as the USC secondary will take a hit in losing both Griffin and safety Talanoa Hufanga.

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Garry Paskwietz (1966-2019)

Garry Paskwietz was a pioneer in bringing team-specific sports coverage to the internet. He founded WeAreSC in 1998 and was an Emmy winner for his work with Fox Sports West. Always generous with his time, knowledge, and compassion, he touched the lives of countless USC and high school football fans.

Garry Paskwietz