Matt Barkley In 2010: Heisman Candidate, Team Captain, Or a Sophomore Slump?

  Recently Matt Barkley the starting quarterback of the USC Trojans football team was voted in by his fellow teammates to be one of the Trojans team captains.

  While this title doesn't come with many privileges, it does carry a lot of responsibility. Since your teammates vote you in, it shows that you are looked to as a leader, an example to the rest of your peers.

Here's what Coach Lane Kiffin said about the vote after Monday's practice 

"With a bunch of guys to vote for, senior leaders like Ronald Johnson and Allen Bradford, for him to be named over those guys as a sophomore says a lot about his work ethic. They’ve seen what he has done this offseason, seen how he has changed his body and approach to the game. He wants to be the best and he’s working that way.”  See the rest of the article here

  Last year Matt Barkley was the first USC freshman in the history of the program to begin the season at starting quarterback. This year he is believed to be the first sophomore named as a Trojan captain. The other four captains are all seniors including Micheal Morgan, Malcolm Smith, Stanley Stavili and Shareece Wright. 

  While I too think of Barkley when picturing this year's Trojan elite, I can't help but wonder if some of this is a little premature. No question being chosen by his teammates not only makes this vote more personal, it adds significantly more pressure. Barkley knows his teammates are looking to him to perform and to lead. With no prospect of playing in a bowl game, the coaches will also be leaning on leaders like Barkley to keep players motivated this season. 

  Then there's the recent news that wide receiver Kyle Prater will probably red shirt this year in order to fully heal. In the same article Lane Kiffin said Prater "probably has the best hands on our team"  if Prater does sit out this year that certainly doesn't help Barkley or the team. 

  In order to qualify for a sophomore slump you have to have had freshman success. His freshman year Barkley threw for 2,735 yards, 15 touchdowns with 14 interceptions for a final passer rating of 131.2. While he'd certainly like to have a few of those interceptions back, Barkley had a pretty solid starting year. 

  I hate the term 'sophomore slump' but the term does warn QB's like Barkley of letting their confidence get the best of them, or letting their guard down before the season. While their have been many accounts of the slump, you may know the sophomore year that Colt McCoy had at Texas, Brian Johnson had at Utah, and Vince Young had in Tennessee.

  There have been a lot of pre-season talks about 2010 Heisman candidate's and Barkley's name has been in most of those. Quarterbacks and running backs win the Heisman more than any other positions in college football so it's not unreasonable for a young, talented quarterback like Matt to do so. Surprisingly the last three awards have been awarded to sophomores, though before Tim Tebow won in 2007 it had never happened. I don't think it helps Barkley at all to have that distraction added on top of everything else just mentioned, but it's there swirling around the young team captain. 

Matt Barkley consider yourself warned.