Mekhi Blackmon

Former defensive back at USC. 2022: 3 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 52 tackles.

DB · USC · Sr. · #6

6′0″ · 175 lb · East Palo Alto, CA

CFB Index 86 · #21 of 322 cornersLow confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamMinnesota — drafted 2023, Rd 3, Pick 39, #102 overall

Recruiting

3★

CB recruit

No. 236 nationally · Joined Colorado

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at USC. 2022: 3 interceptions, 12 pass breakups, 52 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Colorado in 2018.
Transferred from Colorado to USC in 2022.
Drafted round 3 by the Minnesota in 2023.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at USC, 128 tackles, a first-team All-Conference season (2022) — drafted at #102 overall by Minnesota.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20184 games

Signed with Colorado3-star out of College of San Mateo

202214 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal
All-Pac-12First Team

2023

Drafted by Minnesotaround 3, pick 102

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#236 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2018–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #102

Minnesota · 2023

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🥈

ALL-PAC-12 · 1ST TEAM

All-Pac-12 1st team (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2018–2022

3 coaches

2018–2020

Clay Helton

USC

2021

Donte Williams

USC

era →

2022

Lincoln Riley

USC

era →

Played under 3 different head coaches: Clay Helton, Donte Williams, and Lincoln Riley. Multi-era developmental context.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

MinnesotaEntering 4th NFL season

#102Rd 3 · Pick 39

MinnesotaEntering 4th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2018Colorado5-7HC: Kurt Roper · Balanced

2019Colorado5-7HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced

2020Colorado4-2HC: Karl Dorrell · Run-heavy, fast tempo

2021Colorado4-8HC: Karl Dorrell · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2022USC11-3HC: Lincoln Riley · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

86All-Conference level #21 of 322?

Low confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (91st percentile). Concern: sacks (24th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Passes defended#13 / 2755 · 99th pct

Solo tackles#251 / 2755 · 91st pct

Interceptions#42 / 811 · 90th pct

Tackles#514 / 2755 · 81st pct

Forced fumbles#58 / 737 · 46th pct

Tackles for loss#1576 / 2755 · 39th pct

1.5

QB hurries#1444 / 2755 · 24th pct

Sacks#1454 / 2755 · 24th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home9g	3.1	0.1	0.0	0.8
Road5g	4.8	0.1	0.0	1.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-78g	4.0	0.1	0.0	0.8
Weeks 8+6g	3.3	0.2	0.0	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lincoln Riley

Pass share

46.0%

97 pass / 114 run

Plays / game

70.3

3 games

Team sack rate

2.0%

102 dropbacks · PBP

Scheme: Run-leaning.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

86 · #21 of 322 corners

Three-star recruit. Now #21 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	USC	52	38	1.5	0.0	12	3	--
2021	Colorado	41	28	0.0	0.0	4	1	--
2020	Colorado	15	13	1.0	0.0	6	1	--
2019	Colorado	10	7	1.0	1.0	--	--	--
2018	Colorado	10	8	0.0	0.0	2	--	--
Career		128	94	3.5	1.0	24	5	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 12 · 2022

W 48–45

at UCLA

1 PD · 6 SOLO · 8 TOT

Edged out UCLA on the road in a shootout.

With C. Williams — 470 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 87.3 · 33 rush yds (8 car) · 1 TD · A. Jones — 120 rush yds (21 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 14 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 66-14vs Rice	4	1	0.0	0.0	—	2
Wk 2	W 41-28@ Stanford	6	4	0.5	0.0	1	0
Wk 3	W 45-17vs Fresno State	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 4	W 17-14@ Oregon State	3	3	0.0	0.0	1	1
Wk 5	W 42-25vs Arizona State	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 6	W 30-14vs Washington State	7	7	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 7	L 42-43@ Utah	6	5	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 9	W 45-37@ Arizona	1	1	0.0	0.0	—	2
Wk 10	W 41-35vs California	5	3	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 11	W 55-17vs Colorado	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 12	W 48-45@ UCLA	8	6	0.0	0.0	1	1	Season-high 8 tackles
Wk 13	W 38-27vs Notre Dame	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	L 24-47vs Utah	0	0	0.0	0.0	—	1
Bowl	L 45-46vs Tulane	—	—	—	—	—	—
Total		52	38	1.5	0.0	3	12

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology