USC Quarterback Matt Barkley Will Miss Sun Bowl with Shoulder Injury

USC quarterback Matt Barkley is inactive for the Sun Bowl against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in what would have been the final game of his collegiate career. 

According to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, coach Lane Kiffin officially announced the unfortunate news on Thursday afternoon:

"

Lane Kiffin makes it official, Matt Barkley will not play in Sun Bowl. #USC

— Gary Klein (@LATimesklein) December 27, 2012"

Barkley has been dealing with a separated shoulder, which he suffered back on November 17 against UCLA. The injury also caused him to miss the Trojans’ regular-season finale against the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The senior signal-caller finishes his career in Los Angeles with 12,327 yards passing, 116 touchdowns and 48 interceptions. 

It didn’t seem likely that Barkley would make an appearance in the El Paso-based bowl, as the quarterback is a top NFL draft prospect and the postseason affair is essentially meaningless. 

With so many struggling teams in need of a quarterback, it would be insane for a hobbled Barkley to lead his Trojans against a 6-7 Georgia Tech squad that will likely be a cake walk. 

Barkley needs to concentrate on rehabbing his injury and making sure it will not be a problem when his pro day and the combine come around. There’s a lot of money on the line in these next few months, and a healthy shoulder could mean millions more dollars in his pocket.