Matt Barkley: 5 Things You Need to Know About the USC QB

How the mighty have fallen.

Matt Barkley, once heralded as this year's top quarterback prospect, might not even get drafted in the first round. 

This comes a year after he was widely viewed as the third-best quarterback behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Has his decision to stay in school hurt his draft stock?

In truth, Barkley's performance issues would have ultimately dropped him in last year's draft. But it is a long fall from the top—pre-shoulder injury—to where he might land this year. Here are five things you should know about Barkley heading into the NFL draft.

Combine results courtesy of NFL.com. College stats courtesy of sports-reference.com.

Background

Full Name: Matthew Montgomery Barkley

Birthday: September 8, 1990

Hometown: Newport Beach, Ca.

School: USC

Year: Senior

Major: Communication

Twitter: @MattBarkley

Collegiate Stats

Hailing from a pro-style offense, Matt Barkley put up some nice career stats. He had far more interceptions than you would like to see from a top-shelf quarterback, though. 

His yards-per-attempt numbers are also a bit of a red flag, highlighting issues with arm strength.

Passing

Year	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	AY/A	TD	Int	Rate
2009	211	352	59.9	2735	7.8	6.8	15	14	131.3
2010	236	377	62.6	2791	7.4	7.4	26	12	141.2
2011	308	446	69.1	3528	7.9	9.0	39	7	161.2
2012	246	387	63.6	3273	8.5	8.6	36	15	157.6
Career	1001	1562	64.1	12327	7.9	8.0	116	48	148.7

Rushing

Year	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2009	45	-38	-0.8	2
2010	34	-17	-0.5	2
2011	28	14	0.5	2
2012	25	-72	-2.9	0
Career	132	-113	-0.9	6

Draft Process

A shoulder injury sidelined Matt Barkley for much of draft season.

Even without most combine metrics, Barkley had a forgettable pro day. Film is what is most important, but Barkley has not helped himself much during draft season.

Measurables

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 227 lbs.

Arm Length: 30 5/8"

Hand Size: 10 1/8"

Pro Day Results

40-yard dash: 4.89 seconds 

Bucking a Trend

These days, being a USC product carries a stigma in the NFL.

After all, how many Pro Bowlers can you name that came from the power house school this millennium? At least at the quarterback position, it hasn't been pretty.

Carson Palmer has been the best of the bunch, but a once-promising career became mediocre thanks to injuries and disputes. Matt Leinart and Mark Sanchez have become laughingstocks in the NFL.

Can Matt Barkley right the ship?

It is lazy and dangerous to assume he will be a poor NFL quarterback simply because of his pedigree. But try telling that to a Jets fan if New York decides to take him in the first round.

Background

Barkley's draft stock is all over the place, and you can find evidence of this all over Twitter. The incoming rookie has polarized fans and the draft community.

Here's a sample of tweets regarding Barkley's potential slot in the upcoming draft:

"

Teams that make sense for Matt Barkley-- AZ and JAX.

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 28, 2013"

"

I'm not delusional on Matt Barkley like some more stubborn or ill-informed analysts. I'm "high" on Barkley and have him Late 1st-Early 2nd.

— Ryan Lownes (@ryanlownes) April 11, 2013"

"

Watching Matt Barkley throw. He's fine. Arm is good enough. Not great. But Geno Smith's arm isn't great either. Misinformation that it is.

— Pete Prisco (@PriscoCBS) March 27, 2013"

"

Think we can save everybody the time and just say that Matt Barkley will look fantastic throwing the ball at USC's Pro Day today?

"

"— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 27, 2013"

"

Remember, there's a distinct chance #Bills are high on Matt Barkley. But that doesn't mean they aren't high on Ryan Nassib/EJ Manuel too.

— Chris Trapasso (@ChrisTrapasso) April 24, 2013"

"

One high level executive reportedly was so underwhelmed by Matt Barkley's arm strength at his Pro Day that he left early. #2013DRAFT

— Ralph Mancini (@ReverendRalph) April 22, 2013"

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