USC Football Roundup: NFL rookie numbers and more (5/1)

The Trojan draftees get their new numbers in the NFL, while the Pac-12 QBs are ranked. Here’s your USC football roundup for May 1st.

Three of USC’s four NFL draftees from now know what number they’ll be wearing in the pros.

The Jets announced Sam Darnold’s number on Twitter, revealing the quarterback will be sticking with the No. 14. That means wide receiver Andre Roberts will be giving up his jersey to accommodate the new QB.

For his part, Darnold doesn’t put much stake in numbers. At Pac-12 Media Days last year, he said he was given the No. 14 randomly as a freshman and decided to make it his own rather than change it when he rose to the starting job.

New Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, who was selected in the second round, won’t be wearing his USC number to start out in the pros. He’s set to don the No. 58 in powder blue. Funnily enough, his No. 42 is now the property of rookie long snapper Anthony Kukway from Lake Erie College.

More from Reign of Troy

• Markese Stepp enters transfer portal intending to leave USC football
• USC football’s Alijah Vera-Tucker declares for NFL Draft
• USC football adds Xavion Alford as transfer from Texas
• USC Podcast: RoT Radio Ep. 396 on the Football Season’s Fallout
• Talanoa Hufanga named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, USC football with five first-teamers

It’s a similar story for running back Ronald Jones II. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers second-round pick will wear No. 22 as a rookie. Third-year running back Peyton Barber already owns the No. 25.

There’s no word yet on what number Rasheem Green will bear with the Seattle Seahawks.

Undrafted free agent salaries

Since USC had six undrafted free agents sign with teams after the NFL Draft, it’s reading College Spuns’ look at how much an UDFA gets paid.

If Deontay Burnett, Steven Mitchell, Nico Falah, Viane Talamaivao, Josh Fatu and Chris Hawkins make an NFL roster, they’ll be sitting pretty on at least $570,000. However, their signing bonus, with no guarantee of making a roster at all, as UDFAs is definitely lower than if they had been selected.

Ranking the Pac-12’s quarterbacks for 2018

Athlon Sports took on the task of ranking the quarterbacks in the Pac-12 this year, and whad’ya know, it’s JT Daniels who shows up as USC’s representative.

Daniels ranks ninth, essentially the first among the first-time starters who will be flooding the conference in 2018.

UCLA’s Devon Modster trails not far behind. Arizona’s Khalil Tate tops the mountain. USC will battle both in the race for the Pac-12 South title.

Jack Sears to spoil the coronation?

Jack Sears could make Athlon and more than a few other outlets (this one included) silly when all is said and done.

Shotgun Spratling of USCFootball.com has a look at the redshirt freshman QB’s mindset coming out of spring camp.

How far has he come since arriving at USC? “Well it’s night and day.”

Trojan fans will have to hope the difference from spring to fall camp is night and day as well.

Rookie of the Year odds

Trojan Trivia

Deontay Burnett is the first leading receiver out of USC to go undrafted since John Jackson in 1990.