BIG DECISION: Mater Dei's Matt Barkley, who became the first junior to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award, will be stepping into a favorable position at USC. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER How good is Barkley?Here is an excerpt from a Steve Fryer column on Oct. 6, 2007, one day after Matt Barkley led Mater Dei to a victory over Centennial of Corona:Barkley is the best quarterback of the past 18 years in Orange County. That puts him above some big names like Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart and Colt Brennan (who really did not blossom until he got to college), and all of those fine quarterbacks who played at Edison and Los Alamitos. |
USC was positioned perfectly for Barkley
The Mater Dei star couldn't overlook the Trojans' success, especially with QBs.
USC used to be Running Back U. Mike Garrett. O.J. Simpson. Anthony Davis. Ricky Bell. Charles White. Marcus Allen.
You can make a strong argument for LenDale White and Reggie Bush to be on that list, as their accomplishments make them well deserving. But the running back era at USC is over. It has been for quite some time.
Now it is Quarterback U. Now there is a new list: Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty … Matt Barkley?
This past year, his junior season, Barkley won the Gatorade National Player of the Year. The Mater Dei quarterback is the top-rated recruit in the class of 2009. And he is a Southern California native. With Pete Carroll still roaming Heritage Hall and the Trojans still a national title contender, it should come as no surprise Barkley decided Wednesday to commit to USC.
The only surprise is that some people thought he would consider going somewhere else. Somewhere else like UCLA.
Sure, it’s still Southern California, and the new UCLA coach was a quarterback and the new offensive coordinator is a quarterback’s dream coach. But that pedigree will take its time to permeate through the program. For now, you wonder if UCLA is going to be a .500 team next year. That is not even an afterthought at USC.
As good as he is, Barkley knows whatever he does wouldn’t matter as much at UCLA, not with USC so close in proximity and so dominant in this era.
At USC, your best is better than it is anywhere else. Especially at quarterback.
The Trojans’ three BCS-winning quarterbacks, two of them Heisman winners, have created a mystique at the position in the past 10 years. There is a marked status that goes with being the starting quarterback at USC. Local and national media pay attention to you more. Fans like you more.
People want you to succeed.
A summer ago I spoke with Barkley after a passing tournament. By that time he had been offered a scholarship by just about every major college program. He said that he was going to think about his options for a while, but that he was “probably” going to USC.
Then he told me something else. He said Carroll had told him he was not offering a scholarship to a quarterback from the class of 2008.
Barkley is his guy. And Carroll is Barkley’s.
Never mind that there currently is a glut of quarterbacks at USC. Mark Sanchez (Mission Viejo High), Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp (Orange Lutheran High) will have all spring, and maybe the fall, to vie for the starting spot.
Barkley does not have to worry about that. Next year he’ll be a senior in high school. He won’t arrive until the fall of 2009.
And when he does, media, fans and history will be on his side.
Contact the writer: amaya@ocregister.com
