Matt Barkley Scouting Report

First Word:

• Barkley is one of the best underclassmen in the 2012 draft class. He has the potential to be a top 5 pick and should lead USC to a very strong season.

Basics

• Matt Barkley, QB, USC
• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 220
• Class: Junior (as of 2011-2012 season)

NFL Player Comparison

• Colt McCoy but better: He compares to Colt in a couple of ways. Those are: accuracy, decision making, mobility, and touch. However, he is better than McCoy because he has higher arm strength.

Follow the jump to see the complete profile

Player Bio:

• As a freshman, Barkley barely won the battle for starting QB. He started 12 games and completed 211 out of 352 passes, good for 59.9% with 2,735 yards, 15 TDs and 14 interceptions. He was a Freshman All-American honorable mention. He showed great poise when they played at Ohio State. However, it was Barkley’s sophomore season where he emerged as one of the best QB’s in the entire nation. He was 236 for 377, good for 62.6% while finishing with 26 TDs to just 12 interceptions. He went 140 straight passes without an interception at one point and twice tied a school record with 5 TDs in one game. He was as semifinalist for the 2012 Davey O’Brien Award. He made All-Pac-10 honorable mention (because of Andrew Luck). He ws the first sophomore ever to be a captain at USC. He was the national quarterback of the week after he completed 25 out 0f 37 passes for 352 yards.

Career Stats:

• 447 completions, 729 attempts, 5526 yards, 61.3 compl %, 7.26 yards per attempt, 41 TDs, 26 INTs

Projected Draft Status: Top 10

• Barkley is almost a lock to be a top 10 pick next year. Unless he is absolutely terrible or does not declare, I don’t see any way that teams will pass up on his incredible combination of size and skill.

Other Potential First Round QBs

Andrew Luck (Stanford) … Landry Jones (Oklahoma)

• Luck and Jones are both also top 10 prospects. Other than those two, I don’t see any QBs that will go in the first round right now besides Barkley. Kirk Cousins has a shot to be a first round pick with a good season.

Video Highlights:

1. Matt’s 2010 highlights: This is a four minute video that shows the best of Matt’s sophomore season.
2. Matt’s 2009 highlights: This is a four minute video that shows the best of Matt’s freshman season.
3. USC vs. Notre Dame (2009): This shows all of Barkley’s throwing attempts in this game.

Matt’s Strengths and Weaknesses

• http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2011/5/19/2179166/matt-barkley-2012-nfl-draft-prospect-notes

Final Thoughts

• Matt is one of the best prospects in the 2012 draft. He has a great arm, huge potential, and all the intangibles. He combines his above average arm strength with incredible accuracy and great decision making. He will have three years of starting experience at USC which is a plus. However, he is not flawless. He needs to improve on his technique, which begins right from the snap. He needs to hold the ball higher. However, all the technique and mechanics can and will be taught to him once he gets to the NFL.
• Currently, he is the third ranked QB in the 2012 draft class. However, he is very close to Landry Jones for the second spot. These two will battle it out for the next 11 months to see who gains the second spot.

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