The starting quarterback of the USC Trojans, Matt Barkley, will return for his senior season. Barkley, who was a potential top ten pick in the upcoming NFL draft, made the official announcement to an enthusiastic crowd Thursday in USC’s Heritage Hall. The much-awaited decision was welcoming news for a college football program that has begun its return to national prominence. With Matt Barkley returning in 2012, the Trojans are the favorite to win the Pac-12 South Division and are a legitimate contender for the BCS National Championship.
This past season, Barkley was one of the top quarterbacks in the country and threw for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns. The combination of his performance as well as his physical tools led many to believe that Barkley was ready to play at the NFL level. Although Barkley also believed he was ready, he decided instead that he wanted to finish the job he began at USC. During his past two seasons in Southern California, Matt Barkley has not been able to play in a bowl game (due to the 2-year ban placed on the university after recruiting violations under former head coach Pete Carroll). With the bowl ban lifted, Barkley will now have the chance to play in a BCS bowl game and possibly the BCS National Championship.
Before going on, it is important to note that had Barkley chosen to enter the NFL draft, he would have been subjected to the rookie-wage scale. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, NFL rookie contracts can be no longer than four years, with a team option for a fifth year, and the amount of guaranteed money available is significantly less. Furthermore, Barkley would have been the second-best rated quarterback in the draft behind Andrew Luck. In 2009, the second quarterback drafted, USC product Mark Sanchez, signed a five-year deal with $28 million guaranteed. In 2011, the second quarterback drafted, Jake Locker, signed a four-year contract with only $12.58 million guaranteed. As you can see, unlike rookie quarterbacks in the past, Barkley would not have been able to sign a long-term contract with a great deal of guaranteed money.
The chance to win a national championship was a major reason Matt Barkley passed up the chance to play in the NFL. The Trojans were 10-2 this past season and 7-2 in the Pac-12 and had it not been for NCAA penalties, the team would have played Oregon in the Pac-12 Championship Game. Interestingly enough, USC beat Oregon 38-35 just a few weeks before the championship game. In addition, USC only lost to Stanford by one score in a game that required three overtimes. By splitting the team’s two games against opponents ranked in the top ten nationally this past season, USC proved that it could play with the best teams in the country.
Most importantly, USC will continue to get talented recruits. USC is one of the best programs in college football history and has a beautiful campus in a favorable climate. Even with NCAA penalties placed against the school, the team was able to put a talented team on the field each week. With the bowl ban gone, recruits that had been hesitant to commit to USC will be excited for the opportunity to play in a post-season game. Furthermore, if the team is able to win the division, those recruits will be guaranteed to play in the Rose Bowl. Now, with the confirmation that Matt Barkley will be returning, the USC football program becomes one of the most appealing programs for recruits in 2012.
The decision by Matt Barkley to return to USC has launched the Trojans back into the top of college football. The team took great strides forward last season, continuing to perform at a high-level offensively and playing well enough defensively. Since he passed up the opportunity to play in the NFL, you can be sure that Matt Barkley will enter the season with the hopes of winning a Heisman Trophy and leading USC to the BCS National Championship. Watch out nation, the Trojans are back.