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Speaking to a crowd in Boulder's Central Park on Friday morning, KD Nixon walked over to a police officer and shook his hand. "I couldn't do that growing up. I was scared to do that," said Nixon, a young black man who grew up in DeSoto, Texas, and came to the University of Colorado to play football three years ago. Nixon and dozens of other CU athletes, coaches, administrators and community members gathered on Friday for Buffs March. An estimate of more than 500 people, including police officers, took part in the roughly mile-long walk to support the Black Lives Matter movement and protest against racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

On May 25, Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, died after being restrained by police. Floyd pleaded with officers that he couldn't breathe as they held him to the ground and one officer, Derek Chauvin, pressed his knee into Floyd's neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. Those who participated in Friday's Buffs March, took a knee for 8:46, remaining silent throughout with fists raised, at the end of the walk. "It's a blessing," Nixon said of seeing so many people take part in the protest. "This is authentic. This ain't nobody trying to, you know, bring racism against people. No, this is everyone versus police brutality. This is everyone standing together saying, 'Let's be stronger." - Daily Camera

(DS#128 WR) rSr/2022

WR K.D. Nixon, Southern California
News Source: Daily Camera
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05/31/20 - Tyler Vaughns, rSr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 184 (DS#23 WR) + More +

Tyler Vaughns' decision to return for his senior season solidified USC's returning receiving corps. Vaughns and Amon-Ra St. Brown combined for 151 receptions for 1,954 yards and a dozen touchdowns in 2019. Their skill sets complement each other, too. At 6-foot-2, Vaughns is dangerous in jump ball situations, especially along the sidelines, though drops were an issue in 2019. St. Brown is adept at turning a short completion into a big gain. Behind them is rising sophomore Drake London. As a true freshman, London steadily improved, shaking off poor performances early to catch a touchdown in each of the last five games of the season. He closed the regular season with an eight-catch, 142-yard performance against UCLA. Those are the three returning receivers who made an impact last season. But USC has some promising young receivers who were limited in 2019 due to injuries. - Los Angeles Times

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2021

WR Tyler Vaughns, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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05/28/20 - Brendan Costello, So/2023, Southern California, 6-0, 192 (DS#999 QB) + More +

According to a report by Pete Thamel of Yahoo! Sports, Oklahoma State quarterback Brendan Costello plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Costello redshirted last year in his first year in Stillwater. Listed at 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, Costello hails from San Clemente, California. He had received offers out of high school from Air Force, Army and Georgia, according to 247Sports. Not only was it going to be difficult for Costello to crack the starting lineup at quarterback with redshirt sophomore Spencer Sanders having so much success last year, but working to be the backup might have also been a mighty task for Costello. - Stillwater Press

(DS#999 QB) So/2023

QB Brendan Costello, Southern California
News Source: Stillwater Press
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05/28/20 - Hayes Pullard, rSr/2015, Southern California, 6-0, 240 (DS#14 ILB) + More +

Two former USC linebackers are set to join a football support staff that's grown exponentially over the course of the offseason. Chris Claiborne, a consensus All-American linebacker for USC in 1998, and Hayes Pullard, a two-time captain in 2013 and 2014, will join the Trojans' staff as analysts next season, the school announced Thursday. Claiborne will be responsible for offensive quality control, and Pullard will work with the defense. Both had agreed in principle to join the staff before the COVID-19 pandemic, per a USC statement. But with the university now in the midst of a hiring freeze, the two agreed to delay their start dates until June 1. The long-anticipated hires mark the highest-profile additions to a USC support staff that's been rebuilt in recent months. Last season, USC had four football support staffers dedicated to recruiting and another four dedicated to operations. Before the pandemic, the athletic department had planned to add eight more staffers, in hopes of keeping pace with other top football programs across the country. - Orange County Register

(DS#14 ILB) rSr/2015

ILB Hayes Pullard, Southern California
News Source: Orange County Register
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05/02/20 - K.D. Nixon, rSr/2022, Southern California, 5-07, 190 (DS#128 WR) + More +

Three years ago, KD Nixon and Laviska Shenault came to Boulder with visions of dominating together and they've posted some big numbers. During the past two seasons with the Colorado Buffaloes, the duo from DeSoto, Texas, has combined for 229 catches, 2,876 yards and 17 touchdowns. It's also been rare to see one on campus without the other. That will change this year, however, with Shenault in the NFL and Nixon playing his senior season at CU. This will be a much different unit without Shenault and Tony Brown, who each had 56 catches to lead CU last season. Shenault was a second round choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, while Brown signed a free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns.

Nixon, meanwhile, is eager to fill their shoes and lead the Buffs' receiving corps. "Our No. 1 goal was always to be the best receivers in the nation, both of us," Nixon said this winter of he and Shenault. "Also our goal was to take care of our family (by reaching the NFL). He's at an advantage right now and he's leading the way." They've shifted their goals a bit this year. "He takes off in the NFL and I take off in college," Nixon said. "I'd be the best receiver in college football, he'd be the best receiver in the NFL. That's just our goals. We're not slowing down just because we're not together. No, let's take it up another notch." Nixon, without question, wants to take his game up a notch. After a very good sophomore season in 2018 (52 catches for 636 yards), he didn't produce as he had hoped last year. The 5-foot-8, 185-pound Nixon, who is the Buffs' lone senior receiver this year, had just 35 catches for 465 yards in 2019. Only 170 of those yards came in the last eight games. - Daily Camera

(DS#128 WR) rSr/2022

WR K.D. Nixon, Southern California
News Source: Daily Camera
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04/23/20 - *Austin Jackson, Jr/2020, Southern California, 6-5, 322 (DS#6 OT) + More +

In a game predicated on sacrifices, nobody embodies a selfless mentality like newest Miami Dolphin, Austin Jackson. The left tackle from the University of Southern California heard his name called by the Commissioner on Thursday night, serving as a bookend to a wild year for Jackson and his family. Jackson and his younger sister, Autumn, are inseparable. Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), a bone marrow deficiency that robs the body of producing red blood cells, had been causing complications for Autumn for a number of years. The impact of the treatments had been deteriorating, leaving Autumn with limited options, the best of which was a bone marrow transplant. Jackson blazed a 5.07 time in the 40-yard dash at his NFL Scouting Combine on-field workout. He measured at least in the top 84th percentile among all offensive linemen since 1998 with the 40 time, as well as his vertical and broad jumps coming in at 31 and 115 inches respectively. It's the athleticism that catches the scout's eyes when they cut the tape. - MiamiDolphins.com

(DS#6 OT) Jr/2020

OT *Austin Jackson, Southern California
News Source: MiamiDolphins.com
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04/19/20 - *Austin Jackson, Jr/2020, Southern California, 6-5, 322 (DS#6 OT) + More +

Ever since he can remember, Austin Jackson dreamed of draft day. Sitting in the green room, waiting for the phone to ring. Hearing the commissioner call his name. Striding to the podium in a sharp, new suit. Donning a hat from his new team. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, no part of this week's NFL draft will play out as the former USC left tackle once planned. When his name is called, Jackson will be at home with his family in Arizona. He'll wait in a virtual green room, with other potential first-round prospects, all of whom were sent kits of cameras, speakers and microphones to help them broadcast from home. Jackson has no idea what to expect from there. In a draft flush with offensive tackle prospects, most teams have told him they expect he'll be selected late in the first round. Others in that range have suggested he won't be around when they pick. "It's totally up in the air," Jackson said in a phone interview Friday. "I just plan on hopefully getting that call."

That lingering uncertainty may be the only familiar aspect of this draft for the prospects involved. Without any of the usual pre-draft process to shore up their stock, save for the scouting combine in February, it's unclear how and where NFL teams will place faith in their evaluations. For Jackson, it's an especially pertinent question. The 6-foot-6, 310-pounder, who declared for the draft after his junior season, is somewhat of a polarizing prospect among scouts and prognosticators. He's been characterized by some as an unfinished product, raw in his technique, but oozing with athleticism and high-end potential. To combat those concerns, Jackson spent much of the past few months perfecting his technique. But with no pro day at USC or in-person meetings, all he can do is assure teams over the phone or on FaceTime. - Los Angeles Times

(DS#6 OT) Jr/2020

OT *Austin Jackson, Southern California
News Source: Los Angeles Times
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03/09/20 - Tyler Vaughns, rSr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 184 (DS#23 WR) + More +

Mike Bohn took over as athletic director at Southern California on Nov. 7. His first major assignment was to assess the state of the football program and determine whether Clay Helton would continue to be the Trojans' head coach. He had about two weeks to make a decision that could potentially cost USC tens of millions of dollars, regardless of which way it went. Instead of changing head coaches, USC's new leadership team of Bohn and President Carol Folt chose to upgrade around Helton - from assistant coaches to tighten up a chronically leaky defense and special teams to graphic designers to bring the program's recruiting apparatus into the 21st century. USC considers itself to be among college football's elites, a peer to perennial playoff participants Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma. Historically, yes. Recently, no. This is setting up to be another season of speculation and weekly status reports on the head coach at USC. If the results don't improve there will be no one left to blame but Helton. - AP College Football

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2021

WR Tyler Vaughns, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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02/20/20 - Michael Pittman Jr., Sr/2020, Southern California, 6-4, 223 (DS#9 WR) + More +

2020 NFL COMBINE INVITE: Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Southern California,...Pittman, who has 95 receptions for 1,222 yards and 11 TDs this season, won the 2019 Pop Warner College Football Award, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and is a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award. He made the 2019 All-Pac-12 first team and was an All-American second teamer. He is fourth nationally in receptions (7.9), 10th in receiving yards (101.8) and 12th in receiving TDs. In his career, he has 165 receptions for 2,446 yards and 19 touchdowns. He is a sociology major and is scheduled to graduate this May. - Southern California Football

(DS#9 WR) Sr/2020

WR Michael Pittman Jr., Southern California
News Source: Southern California Football
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02/20/20 - *Austin Jackson, Jr/2020, Southern California, 6-5, 322 (DS#6 OT) + More +

2020 NFL COMBINE INVITE: Austin Jackson, OT, Southern California,...Jackson, a 2-year starter at left tackle, did not miss a game in 2019 despite donating bone marrow a month before the start of fall camp to his younger sister, Autumn, who suffers from Diamond-Blackfin anemia (a rare blood disorder). - Southern California Football

(DS#6 OT) Jr/2020

OT *Austin Jackson, Southern California
News Source: Southern California Football
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02/12/20 - *Olaijah Griffin, Jr/2021, Southern California, 5-11, 176 (DS#20 CB) + More +

Southern California has hired Sean Snyder as its special teams coordinator and Donte Williams as its cornerbacks coach and defensive pass game coordinator. Clay Helton announced the additions to his coaching staff Wednesday night. The 50-year-old Snyder has spent the past 26 years working in several jobs at Kansas State, where his father, Bill, was the longtime head coach. Bill Snyder's first coaching job was at USC as a graduate assistant in 1966.

Sean Snyder coached the Wildcats' special teams from 2011-18 while also serving as his father's associate head coach. He spent last season as Kansas State's senior special teams analyst after Chris Klieman succeeded Bill Snyder. Snyder replaces John Baxter, who was fired along with defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast last December after the Trojans finished their 8-5 season by losing the Holiday Bowl to Iowa. Williams spent the last two seasons as the cornerbacks coach at Oregon, where he earned a reputation as one of the West Coast's top recruiters, particularly in his native Los Angeles area. His Ducks also finished second in the nation with 20 interceptions. - AP College Football

(DS#20 CB) Jr/2021

CB *Olaijah Griffin, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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01/15/20 - *Austin Jackson, Jr/2020, Southern California, 6-5, 322 (DS#6 OT) + More +

Southern California left tackle Austin Jackson will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Jackson announced his decision Wednesday. Jackson was the anchor of USC's much-improved offensive line last season. The 6-foot-6 junior was named to the All-Pac-12 first team. Jackson's achievements were even more impressive because he donated bone marrow to his younger sister, Autumn, less than a month before the start of training camp. Jackson's draft stock has risen steadily in recent months. He is widely expected to be picked in the first round in April. Jackson praised embattled USC coach Clay Helton in his departure statement.

"Coach Helton, thank you for your leadership and your constant support of me and my family both on and off the field," Jackson wrote. "USC has truly been such a special place to call home for the last three years." Helton and the Trojans face a challenge to reconfigure their offensive line after the departures of Jackson and starting right tackle Drew Richmond, who is out of eligibility. USC could move Jalen McKenzie or Liam Jimmons to the tackle spots next season. The team also added six offensive linemen in its poorly regarded recruiting class last month. - AP College Football

(DS#6 OT) Jr/2020

OT *Austin Jackson, Southern California
News Source: AP College Football
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12/12/19 - Michael Pittman Jr., Sr/2020, Southern California, 6-4, 223 (DS#9 WR) + More +

2019 ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM (COACHES): WR Michael Pittman Jr., Sr., USC,...Pittman Jr., who has 95 receptions for 1,222 yards and 11 TDs this season, won the 2019 Pop Warner College Football Award, is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award and a semifinalist for the Witten Award. He is fourth nationally in receptions (7.9), 10th in receiving yards (101.8) and 13th in receiving TDs. - USC Football

(DS#9 WR) Sr/2020

WR Michael Pittman Jr., Southern California
News Source: USC Football
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12/12/19 - Tyler Vaughns, rSr/2021, Southern California, 6-2, 184 (DS#23 WR) + More +

2019 ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION (COACHES): WR Tyler Vaughns, RJr.,...Vaughns, who is ninth on USC's all-time pass catching chart with 183 receptions, has 68 catches for 858 yards and 6 TDs in 2019 (this is his third time making All-Pac-12 honorable mention). - USC Football

(DS#23 WR) rSr/2021

WR Tyler Vaughns, Southern California
News Source: USC Football
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12/12/19 - Michael Pittman Jr., Sr/2020, Southern California, 6-4, 223 (DS#9 WR) + More +

2019 ALL-PAC-12 SECOND TEAM (COACHES): AP/ST Michael Pittman Jr., Sr., USC,...Pittman has played on many of USC's special teams throughout his career (he made the All-Pac-12 first team as a special teamer in 2017). - USC Football

(DS#9 WR) Sr/2020

WR Michael Pittman Jr., Southern California
News Source: USC Football
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