Matt Barkley staying put….2012 QB class rests in the hands of RGIII
USC QB Matt Barkley has decided to stay at USC to complete his four-year run as starter for the Trojans. Rumors began to swirl late in the decision process that Barkley wished to compete for the BCS Crown, make a run at the Heisman and No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.
Barkley’s decision will surely disappoint the quarterback-needy teams at the top of the 2012 NFL Draft. He would have factored into the early stages of round one with the likes of Robert Griffin III. Barkley, instead, will battle it out with the likes of LSU, Alabama, and Oregon for the National Championship in the Trojans first post-sanctions bowl bid.
While leaks of information streamed through the cracks all day, Barkley’s decision to return comes as a shock given his ties to tackle Matt Kalil. For over a month, speculation grew that Barkley and Kalil were a package deal. Kalil announced over a week ago that he would be entering the 2012 NFL Draft which led to assumptions of Barkley’s exit from Troy.
The fate of the 2012 QB class now lies with Robert Griffin III from Baylor. If Griffin joins Barkley in the college ranks, the 2012 QB class will suffer a major blow.
