USC Trojans: Matt Barkley Has Chance to Be the Best USC Quarterback in the NFL

Carson Palmer has arguably been the best quarterback to come out of USC, and he has been average at best.

USC has continually produced great college quarterbacks whose games have not translated well in the NFL.  

Matt Cassel, Matt Leinart, John David Booty and Mark Sanchez have all been mediocre and disappointing for the most part. It really seems odd for a prolific college program to never produce NFL-caliber starting quarterbacks.

Whenever Matt Barkley decides to enter the his name into the draft, I feel that he will break that trend. 

Barkley has a chance to be the best USC quarterback to ever play the NFL game—which isn’t really saying much, as so many do not translate in the NFL.  

So let me break down the Trojan quarterbacks of the past. 

Pat Haden was the best USC quarterback in the 70s who had a five-year career for the Rams, leading them to three NFC West Titles. Haden was solid but did not last long in the NFL.

Rodney Peete was probably the best Tojans quarterback from the 80s, and he had an up-and-down NFL career. He continued to compete for the starting quarterback position but never could lock down the spot for the numerous teams he played for. 

The 90s had Rob Johnson. Johnson was a career NFL backup, while Carson Palmer is arguably the best USC quarterback to play in the NFL thus far.

Palmer has had a solid career but has never been considered one of the elite. Injuries and inconsistent play have always been the knocks on Palmer.  

Cassel never started a game for the Trojans and had a successful season in New England when Brady went down. He has been lackluster since being traded to the Chiefs.

Heisman Trophy-winner Matt Leinart has been a bust, and John David Booty could never get a grasp of the NFL game. 

Mark Sanchez came into the league after one full season as the starter for USC and took the reigns as the starting quarterback for the Jets. His arm is inaccurate, and he doesn’t wow anyone with his stats. I really don’t believe that his Jets team believes in him.

The one positive about Sanchez is that he has elevated his play in playoffs. I still don’t see Sanchez having an arch in his career that is comparable to Palmer’s.  

Matt Barkley will likely be a first- or second-round pick in the NFL whenever he decides to enter the draft. He has decent height and size at 6’2” and 220 lbs, which is comparable to Aaron Rodgers.

Barkley throws a tight spiral and can hit his receiver on the outs. He is currently right there with next years No. 1 pick Andrew Luck in terms of quarterback numbers.

What he needs to improve on is his deep ball. He continues to overthrow his explosive receivers when they break away from the defender. Accuracy on the deep ball can improve with more practice and as he matures. 

What I also love about Barkley is his ability to have a command on offense. He knows the playbook and is able to read defenses.

He also has an uncanny ability to look off the safety one way and throw to a receiver in the other direction. For the most part, he does not lock onto receivers, which is rare for a young college quarterback. 

Barkley is also a great leader for the Trojans, and his teammates are drawn to his charisma and leadership. This quality is very rare and is needed when a player is the quarterback for an NFL team with a bunch of men.

Look at the players who are drawn in to Tim Tebow, who lacks talent but has the heart. 

What separates Barkley from the previous USC quarterbacks is that he does not seem entitled to everything because he is the main man for a prestigious USC program.

Leinart, Palmer, Peete and the rest of the quarterbacks acted as if they were already in the NFL when they were at USC. Barkley continues to work every day and has the drive to get better. His determination and motivation can translate well to the NFL.

If he sits behind a veteran quarterback for a few seasons and works on his accuracy, then I believe we might see something special from the kid. He doesn’t have to do too much to  eventually be the best USC quarterback to ever play in the NFL.