USC Sunday Buzz: Travis Dye An NFL Case Study

USC tailback Travis Dye was among four players who signed free-contracts Saturday.

Did Dye make a mistake coming to USC his senior season?

He gained 884 yards last season, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He averaged 6.0 yards per carry and gained 1,271 his junior season. The difference was the broken ankle he suffered at USC, which caused him to miss the final four games of the season.

So he definitely should have turned pro a year ago? Well, it’s complicated. A sixth-round pick signs a four-year contract worth approximately $4 million with a guaranteed signing bonus of $230,000.

Did Dye get an NIL deal last year at USC worth $1.2 million? Doubtful.

But the NFL Draft can be hard to predict sometimes. Ask Will Levis. Would Dye have been drafted in the sixth round a year ago? We’ll never know.

The biggest unique factor for Dye is that he is a tailback. And the general rule of thumb is you turn pro as soon as possible because of the wear-and-tear and the way the NFL (and its teams) chew up running backs. So from that perspective, he probably should have gone pro, given the risk of injury by coming back for another season.

I posed the same question previously with Jordan Addison. His stock as probably a little higher a year ago coming off the Biletnikoff Award. But he was still picked in the first round, so it’s not like anyone should feel sorry for him.

  • Here’s the list of USC players who signed as free agents:

WR Terrell Bynum — Chargers

DT — Brandon Pili — Dolphins

OT — Bobby Haskins — Bears

RB — Travis Dye — Jets

  • The USC baseball team is having a rough weekend, blowing leads at Washington. The Trojans led 12-9 on Friday night in the seventh inning but lost 14-12. They led 6-1 in the sixth inning on Saturday before losing, 7-6.
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34 thoughts on “USC Sunday Buzz: Travis Dye An NFL Case Study

      1. Mr Lonely
        How was UCLA Spring game? I heard Chippy knew he would get single digits in stands and decide a trip to IHop had a bigger upside. Just think If DTR doesn’t throw that pick he might have gone in 4th round. Ding, Ding, Ding.

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    1. Travis Dye will be a special teams player for a few years in the NFL, then play in the USFL, or XFL. Too many bigger faster running backs coming out of college every year.

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      1. Travis is super smart, articulate, charismatic and understands every nuance of college football..
        #…HopeHeGoesIntoCoachingAtSomePoint….

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    1. Answer: They didn’t WANT to go to NFL….
      #OklahomaStartingDefense:”WeHaveBetterThingsToDoW/OurLives”
      #[GoodForThem]

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    2. Well if the internet never lies, then I counted 8 from Oklahoma and Ohio State. He worked for Urban Mayer and Lincoln Riley. (And Mike Leach but nobody’s perfect)
      But here’s the point, I only did a quick count and I’ll bet there are more.

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  1. Agree about tailbacks, you only have so many carries in your body and why not start the clock on your NFL career. Charbonnet staying at UCLA really surprised me, he literally had NOTHING to gain.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. That’s especially funny….being how my wife just said that yesterday….
        #…AllIDidWasAskHerToBingeWatch”GetALife”WithMe….

        Liked by 1 person

      2. True, but while in school, near the end, I couldn’t wait to be done…no more homework, papers, finals and then when you get older you realize how easy you had it in school 😉.
        But if you’re a potential 1st round pick, playing for a team that’s going nowhere and risk of injury, it makes sense to start the NFL clock to sooner get that 2nd NFL contract…though NIL does come into play now.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. “There Are Rules.”
        —Vincent In “Pulp Fiction”
        #WillGabbyBeAllowedBackInSomeNewReiteration?

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  2. Memo to: Crabs

    Tough to do when the bozo FB team gets royally bitch slapped in the P-12 Championship game 47 -24. SUCC is the perfect FB team to compete in the newly created Cupcake Championship. This is a playoff between Mediocre Div. 1 teams vs excellent Div. 3 FB teams. Vegas calls them “Toss Up” Bowls.

    Cal Poly SLO to Clown U: “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.”

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  3. Travis Dye was an adult when he chose to attend USC last year. He made it clear USC was a goal growing up and he showed real potential. How many of us non trolls can say we got to fulfill one our childhood dreams? For me it was to be in a rock and roll band which played regular gigs. I guess being the drummer for a worship band for 30 years counts, but as good as I think I am I never turned “pro” and I still enjoyed the time. Travis Dye will be one of the Trojans in the NFL I will watch he’s proven he can fit into any scheme and he has leadership qualities that are an asset. I wish him well.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. SC has a really good baseball coach. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the transfer portal whereby he can turn the program around in one year.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Wolf is a clown. Travis due had no draft grade when he was a junior. Why? Oregon was suspect. His injury precluded him from getting drafted. Why? Healthy alternatives to Dye. He didn’t disclose his NIL so we don’t know and it’s none of our business. But the way he was received by the school and alumni tells me he was taken care of. Once again, idle minds are the devil’s playground for Wolf.

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  6. You assume he wouldn’t have been injured had he stayed at Oregon. Even if he hasn’t he might not have been the main rb there and therefore, wouldn’t have gained the same # of yards.

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