The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine gets started next week and despite nearly half of the Pac-12’s all-conference team returning for next season (25 of 51), 31 former stars from the Conference of Champions will be on display at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.  On-field drills get under way on Thursday March 2 with 10 of the 12 conference members represented with at least one athlete.

OREGON leads all Pac-12 schools with six players in attendance, their fourth straight year sending at least six players to Indianapolis.  USC has five former Trojans working out this year, their third straight year with at least five representatives.  STANFORD, UCLA and UTAH will each have four players working out.  It's the 13th time in the last 15 years that the Cardinal have had at least four players invited.  For the Bruins, it’s the third time in the last four years they have had four or more players attend.  The four Utes are the most for Kyle Whittingham’s squad since sending a Pac-12 era record nine players in 2020.

Here's a day-by-day breakdown of who will be participating:

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

Defensive Line

2022 Pac-12 Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year Tuli Tuipulotu follows in his brother Marlon’s footsteps who was invited to the 2021 Combine.  The unanimous All-American led FBS with 13.5 sacks this season.

After sending eight players to Indianapolis in 2022, Nesta Jade Silvera is the Sun Devils lone representative in 2023.  Silvera played in the Senior Bowl after his lone season in Tempe after playing his first four seasons with the Miami Hurricanes.

Linebackers

Washington State’s Daiyan Henley turned heads in his one season on the Palouse and was Defensive Player of the Week at the Senior Bowl to establish himself as a Top 100 prospect.  He’s the first Cougar LB invited to the Combine since Will Derting in 2006 and will be their first LB drafted since Raonall Smith in 2002.

Oregon is sending two linebackers to Indianapolis for the first time since 2013 when Dion Jordan and Kiko Alonso were invited.  Noah Sewell will give the Sewell family three straight years in Indianapolis with Utah’s Nephi invited in 2022 and Oregon’s Penei in 2021.  DJ Johnson also has family history with the Draft with his older brother.  While he wasn’t invited to the Combine, Arizona’s PJ Johnson was selected in the 7^th round of the 2019 draft.

FRIDAY, MARCH 3

Defensive Backs

After transferring from Colorado, Christian Gonzalez showed off in his one season at Oregon and is showing up as a Top 10 pick in several mock drafts.  His athleticism should come as no surprise as his father played basketball at UTEP and two of his sisters were All-Americans in track including Melissa who ran hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics.

Christian Gonzalez nearly quit football in HS because coaches placed him on JV, saying he “wasn’t strong” in the weight room.

Gonzalez decided to stick with it and eventually accepted an offer to Colorado.

Two years later, he transferred to Oregon to put himself in the national… https://t.co/jbNXzKjMzZ pic.twitter.com/CnxCMO9cWH

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) February 16, 2023

Like Gonzalez, Mekhi Blackmon started his career at Colorado before finishing up with USC.  Blackmon led the Pac-12 with 15 passes defended this season.  The Trojans had five defensive backs invited to the Combine over the last two years including 1^st team All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga in 2021

Clark Phillips III, who was tied for second in FBS with six interceptions last season, is the first Utah DB to be invited since 2020 when four Ute defensive backs went to Indianapolis.  Seven DB’s who played under Kyle Whittingham were in the NFL last season.

Oregon State is sending two DBs to the Combine for the first time since 2009 (Brandon Hughes and Keenan Lewis).  First team All-Pac-12 CB Rejzohn Wright follows in the footsteps of his brother Nahshon who was invited to the 2021 Combine.  Alex Austin started 30 games in his Beaver career.

Kyu Blu Kelly becomes the fifth Stanford DB to be invited in the last six years with both Paulson Adebo and Super Bowl Champion Justin Reid getting selected in the 3^rd round of their drafts.  Kelly was tied for second in the Pac-12 in 2021 with 12 passes defended.

Daniel Scott is the fourth Cal DB to be invited in the last four years, with the previous three (Camryn Bynum, Ashtyn Davis, and Jaylinn Hawkins) all winding up drafted in the fourth round or better.  Scott had six interceptions over the last two seasons.

SATURDAY, MARCH 4

Quarterbacks

The Pac-12 was one of just two Power 5 conferences to have multiple quarterbacks invited this season and it’s the first time multiple QBs from the Pac-12 have been invited since 2020.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson becomes the third UCLA QB in the Pac-12 era to get an invite to Indianapolis, joining Josh Rosen (2018) and Brett Hundley (2015).  The Bruins all-time leader in passing yards, total yards, completions, total touchdowns and passing touchdowns, DTR led the West team to victory in the East West Shrine Bowl.

Stanford once again is represented at the quarterback position with Tanner McKee getting the invite.  He follows in the footsteps of Davis Mills, who has started 26 games for the Houston Texans the last 2 seasons and for whom McKee backed up in 2020.

Wide Receivers

Jordan Addison makes it five USC wide receivers invited to the Combine in the last four years.  Drake London, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Michael Pittman all had at least 70 receptions in the NFL last season.  Addison improved his drop rate from 9.9% in his 2021 Biletnikoff Award winning season to 3.3% in his season with the Trojans.

Stanford will be represented by a multiple wide receivers for the first time since 2008 (Mark Bradford & Evan Moore).  According to PFF College, Elijah Higgins forced 17 missed tackles last season which was second most among Pac-12 WR.  PFF also named Michael Wilson the best pass catcher at this year’s Senior Bowl where he scored the game-sealing touchdown.

Stanford WR Michael Wilson put on a tremendous @seniorbowl performance

🗣️ @TampaBayTre pic.twitter.com/w9SCaifQlS

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 2, 2023

Jake Bobo made a big impression in his only season at UCLA after transferring from Duke.  According to PFF, Bobo led the Pac-12 with 13 contested catches.

Tight Ends

Despite missing the final 11 games of the season, Luke Musgrave was one of the breakout stars of the Senior Bowl practices.  In the two games he did play last season, Musgrave had 11 receptions for 169 yards and a score. It’s the second straight year a Beavers TE has been invited with Teagan Quitoriano later becoming a 5^th round pick.

If you need speed at Tight End, Luke Musgrave is your guy💨 pic.twitter.com/xDQ1eKivy1

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 12, 2023

Even though he sat out the Rose Bowl, Dalton Kincaid led all FBS tight ends with 70 receptions last season while finishing second in yards (890) and touchdowns (8).  Kincaid set the Pac-12 record for receptions (16) and receiving yards (234) in a game by a tight end against USC in October.  The last Utah TE to be invited to the Combine was Jake Murphy in 2014.

SUNDAY, MARCH 5

Running Backs

Zach Charbonnet is the third UCLA running back invited to the Combine in the last four years.  Charbonnet led the Pac-12 with 1,359 rush yards last season and had 27 rushing touchdowns over the last 2 seasons combined.

Travis Dye was on pace for back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons before suffering a season-ending injury against Colorado.  Since the start of the 2020 season, Dye is one of three running backs to have over 2,000 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving with 32 total touchdowns in 31 games.

Tavion Thomas impressed scouts at the East West Shrine Bowl.  Thomas had a breakout season in his first season at Utah in 2021, finishing third in the country with 21 rushing touchdowns.  The last Utah RB invited to the Combine, Zack Moss, was a 3^rd round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Offensive Line

Oregon joins Ohio State as the only schools to send three offensive lineman to Indianapolis this year.  The last Pac-12 school to send three OL to the Combine was Oregon in 2020.  Alex Forsyth was the second highest rated pass blocking center in college football last year by PFF.  T.J. Bass allowed only one sack on 462 pass snaps in 2022 and only three in 1,138 career pass block snaps in three seasons at Oregon.  Likewise, Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu allowed only 3 sacks in over 1,000 career pass block snaps in 3+ seasons at Oregon.

Oregon Center Alex Forsyth last season:

🦆 408 Pass Block Snaps
🦆 1 Pressure Allowed pic.twitter.com/kaQJLqtyBH

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 16, 2023

Washington is sending multiple offensive lineman to Indianapolis for the first time since 2020 when Trey Adams and Nick Harris were invited.  Jaxson Kirkland made 1^st team All-Pac-12 each of the last three seasons and was a 3^rd team AP All-American this season.  Henry Bainivalu allowed just 1 sack in 545 pass block snaps last season.

Braeden Daniels is the first Utah offensive lineman invited since Jackson Barton in 2019.  Daniels did not allow a sack in 513 pass block snaps last season, the fifth most snaps by an offensive tackle without allowing a sack in 2022.

Andrew Vorhees, named First Team All-American by the AP and PFF, is the seventh USC OL invited to the Combine in the last seven years.  Vorhees was the third highest rated guard on PFF for those who played at least 700 total snaps last season.

Jon Gaines II makes it back-to-back years for a UCLA OL to be invited, with Sean Rhyan turning last year’s invite into a 3^rd round selection.  Gaines was the fifth highest rated guard on PFF for those who played at least 900 total snaps last season.