In a rare football occurrence, the effects of the the ninth best moment in football from 2011 will occur next year in 2012. University of Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley rocked the world of college and professional football yesterday afternoon when he announced that he would be returning for his senior season. Barkley, coming off a strong Junior campaign, had the opportunity to forego his Senior year of college and enter the 2012 NFL Draft. A likely top five pick, Barkley passed up millions of guaranteed dollars to play a senior season in which he will be a favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and break multiple USC passing records. Most importantly, Barkley's return makes the 2012 version of the Trojans the favorite to win the National Championship and return USC to national prominence.
Barkley was slighted earlier this month when he wasn't chosen as a finalist for the 2011 Heisman, a moment that confused analysts and inspired the Junior quarterback. The Newport Beach native threw for 3528 yards and 39 touchdowns in 12 games this past season, leading the Trojans to a 10-2 record and a first place finish in the Pac-12 South. The Trojans, who will also have All-Pac-12 safety T.J. McDonald returning for his senior season, will be loaded with a mixture of veteran leadership and young talent, as underclassman receivers Robert Woods and Marquise Lee stole the show in 2011. Barkley will have these weapons and more at his disposal in 2012, as the Trojans will add currently redshirting Freshman receiver Victor Blackwell and 4-star recruit Darreus Rogers.
Barkley was shaky early in the season but turned it around in the last six games, including a 38-35 upset of Oregon and a 50-0 blowout of UCLA. A rough start won't be acceptable next year, as the expectations will be as high as they've ever been for a USC quarterback. Barkley won't get any breaks in a large media market like Los Angeles but has consistently proved he can deal with the pressure. A class act by all measures, Barkley was impressive in his speech yesterday and sent the right message to USC players and fans. His speech was compared to that of Andrew Luck's earlier in the year but Barkley's announcement was more significant because he will be returning to a legitimate, proven team and a tested coach in Lane Kiffin. Expect a "top moment of 2012" next year when we discuss Barkley's Heisman and USC's future national title.
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