Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
With seven days to go, today we look at former USC quarterback Matt Barkley.
Position: Quarterback
Years played at USC: 2009-2012
Career highlights: In 2009, Barkley became the first ever true freshman to start a season opener at quarterback for USC. In his second career start, he led the Trojans into Columbus and to an 18-15 road victory over No. 8 Ohio State. However, Barkley’s freshman season was an up-and-down one, as USC finished the year 9-4, failing to win at least a share of
the Pac-10 title for the first time in eight years.
Following his freshman season, however, practically everything around Barkley at USC changed. Head coach Pete Carroll left for the NFL, new coach Lane Kiffin came in, the university changed both athletic directors and presidents, and the Trojans were hit with crippling NCAA sanctions, causing numerous players to transfer out. However, Barkley decided to stick it out at USC. After an unspectacular 2010 season, he led the Trojans to a 10-2 campaign in 2011, culminating in a road upset of No. 4 Oregon and a 50-0 victory over crosstown foe UCLA.
Despite being projected as a first round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Barkley decided to return to USC for his senior season, with the goal of leading the Trojans—who had not been eligible for the postseason the prior two years as part of the sanctions—to a national championship. While Barkley continued to put up stellar statistics—breaking the USC records for passing yards and passing touchdowns—the Trojans struggled on the field, dropping several close games. In the penultimate matchup of the regular season against UCLA, Barkley suffered a shoulder injury, bringing his career in Cardinal and Gold to a premature close. On his senior night at the Coliseum the following week, he watched from the sideline in a sling as the Trojans fell to archrival Notre Dame.
After USC: Barkley’s shoulder injury caused him to fall to the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, where the Philadelphia Eagles selected him. However, he would go on to spend 11 years in the league, spending time with 11 different teams. Barkley made seven career NFL starts, six of which came with the Chicago Bears in 2016.
Barkley’s longest stint with an NFL team came with the Buffalo Bills, where he served as Josh Allen’s backup from 2018-2020. His most recent appearance in the league came with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023.
Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Seven days until USC football
