Wide Receiver
USC
6-1, 215
Long Beach, Calif.
Long Beach Polytechnic High School
2nd Round – 62nd Overall
CAREER NOTES
Recorded 213 catches for 3,092 yards and 25 touchdown receptions, along with 16 kickoff returns for 185 yards…finished fourth on the Trojans’ all-time list in catches (213)…eclipsed 100 receiving yards in 12 games, and caught at least one pass in each of his 40 games played (39 starts)…majored in social sciences (psychology).
2016 SEASON
Second-team All-Pac 12…started all 13 games…led the team in receptions (70) for 914 yards with 10 touchdown catches…posted at least 100 receiving yards in four games…added five carries for 27 yards…caught two touchdowns (3 and 15 yards), en route to finishing with seven catches for 56 yards vs. Utah State (9/10)…caught a career-best three touchdowns, including a 67-yarder, finishing with seven catches for 123 yards vs. Arizona State (10/1)…totaled three receiving touchdowns at Arizona (10/15), amassing nine catches for 132 yards…posted 133 receiving yards on seven catches, along with a touchdown, vs. Penn State (1/2).
Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley Re: JuJu Smith-Schuster
Obviously, we took JuJu Smith-Schuster out of USC. We are excited about it. He is a young guy. I think he’s the youngest in the draft. As you know in the last few years we’ve had good success with young guys like that that. We feel like we are getting them early enough to really make an impact on their development. He is a good sized receiver. He was very productive out there at USC. He is a really do-it-all guy. He can play inside, outside. If you had to say what he excelled at, I’d say his ability to catch the ball in combative situations, 50/50 balls as we call them, and he usually comes down with them. He’s a really exciting guy and we are excited to get him here to work on.
Is he a competitive and emotional player?
I’d say he’s very competitive and passionate about what he does. That shows up in the run game, which is an exciting thing for us. He’s not a guy that’s afraid to stick his nose in there and block safeties and even some linebackers. He plays with a great passion, which is one of the exciting things about him.
Cameron Sutton
Cornerback
Tennessee
5-11, 188
Jonesboro, Ga.
Jonesboro High School
3rd Round – 94th Overall
CAREER NOTES
Started all 45 games in his Tennessee career, recording 127 tackles (111 solo), 13 tackles for losses, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and seven interceptions…added 45 punt returns for 657 yards and three touchdowns…graduated in December 2016 with a degree in communication studies.
2016 SEASON
Started each of his seven games played en route to recording 23 tackles and an interception…recorded the seventh interception of his career vs. Appalachian State (9/1) and made four tackles…had a career-high six tackles in start at Vanderbilt (11/26).
James Conner
Running Back
Pitt
6-1, 233
Erie, Pa.
McDowell High School
3rd Round – 105th Overall
CAREER NOTES
In 39 games, finished second on Pitt’s all-time rushing yards chart (3,733), total touchdowns (56) and rushing touchdowns (52), trailing only Tony Dorsett in all three…set Atlantic Coast Conference records for career rushing touchdowns and total touchdowns, finishing with 52 and 56 respectively, in his career…
2016 SEASON
First-Team All-ACC selection…rushed for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns on 216 carries…added 21 catches for 302 receiving yards and four touchdown catches…his 20 total touchdowns ranked eighth in the nation…receiving the 2016 Disney Sports Spirit Award, presented annually to college football’s most inspirational figure, recipient of the Maxwell Club Thomas Brookshier Spirit Award and the Brian Piccolo Award…compiled four 100-yard rushing games in the last five contests…scored two touchdowns vs. Villanova (9/3)…rushed for 117 yards and scored two touchdowns vs. Penn State (9/10)…totaled 141 rushing yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns vs. Virginia Tech (10/27)…posted 132 rushing yards on 20 carries and a score vs. Clemson (11/12)…finished his regular season career with an 115-rushing yard game, scoring two touchdowns and adding two catches for 45 yards and a touchdown vs. Syracuse (11/26). www.steelers.com