USC Won the 2012 Recruiting Battle When Matt Barkley Announced His Return

Leading up to the end of the 2012 college football season, much speculation centered on Southern California’s junior quarterback Matt Barkley’s future. The big question after a successful 10-2 season and a surefire NFL future was, will Barkley return for his senior season with the Trojans?

A day after, junior safety T.J. McDonald announced his return for his senior season. Thursday in Heritage Hall, USC head coach Lane Kiffin got his most prized recruit to commit to one more year when Matt Barkley said, “I am staying so I can finish what I started."

The Trojans, currently No. 15 in recruiting (Rivals.com), will not receive a bump in their recruiting rankings with this announcement but with Barkley under center for the Trojans in 2012, USC should be a preseason Top 10 team.

Barkley’s return will also put him on a shortlist of Heisman Trophy candidates before the 2012 college football season begins.

Even more important for USC and Barkley is the opportunity for Southern California to compete not only for a Pac-12 Title but also for a BCS National Championship.

2011 completes the two-year postseason ban the Trojans were placed under after former running back Reggie Bush was declared ineligible for receiving improper benefits.

Trojan fans are left to wonder what may have been if USC were able to compete in the postseason this year.

Southern Cal finished the regular season as the would-be Pac-12 South Division title game representative. The title-game matchup would have pitted them against Oregon, a team USC defeated in Eugene 38-35 two weeks prior.

Instead of USC playing Oregon for a chance to go to the Rose Bowl, crosstown rival UCLA represented the South Division in a losing effort.

2012 will signal the return of Troy and erases any doubt about the future of USC’s football program.