Spring Ball QB Roundtable

By WeAreSC staff WeAreSC.com

One of the hot topics as we head into spring is the expected competition at quarterback. WeAreSC staffers Garry Paskwietz, Greg Katz, Brian Matthews and Erik McKinney give their thoughts to a variety of questions relating to the position battle.

* Do you think there is a clear cut favorite for the job right now

Garry Paskwietz: No, there isn't a clear cut favorite as we head into spring, that's what makes this competition so genuinely exciting. None of the returning players were able to establish themself as the #2 guy behind Mark Sanchez plus you also have a newcomer who has yet to have the opportunity to show what he can do. On top of that, you have a new position coach who goes into spring ball with a clean slate of knowledge about the candidates as Saturday will be the first day he will actually be able to coach them on the field.

Greg Katz: No. I think the race is really between two players and their names are Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain in that order. Matt Barkley will be running third because of the latest development with Garret Green. I would have ranked Garrett Green right at or near at the top, but the announcement that Garrett will be used at wide receiver and special teams sends the message that Pete Carroll may not want Green deep in the competition mix.

Brian Matthews: I do not see a clear cut leader, but I would put my bet down today on Aaron Corp. Aaron has been taking the first reps during the informal workouts and seem to have the most command of the offense. I think it'd be impossible to name a favorite this early without Jeremy Bates working with each candidate.

Erik McKinney: Absolutely not. I think anyone who can say with 100 percent confidence who will be starting for USC against San Jose State is either clairvoyant or Pete Carroll’s therapist.

* Give me your argument for each guy and why you think he could be the starter (or why you think he won’t be the starter).

Garry Paskwietz: Garrett Green - If you had gone to all the off-season throwing sessins without knowing the names of the quarterbacks, or their resumes, it is easy to imagine that you would have pointed to Green as the most consistent member of the group. Green seemed energized about the opportunity to compete for the job and it showed in his game, at least as much as can be shown during off-season drills in shorts and t-shirts. Hopefully he will still get an extended look in spring despite splitting time at the wide receiver spot.

Aaron Corp - the candidate who is growing as the popular choice to win the starting job. Aaron is steady, an important trait for a QB who will be surrounded by talent and who will need to keep mistakes to a minimum, and he also brings the added value of being a terrific runner. The Trojans haven't had a quarterback with his ability to move in the pocket during the Carroll era.

Mitch Mustain - I get the feeling that we still haven't seen the real Mitch Mustain yet but now is the time for him to show up because the job is there for the taking. Mitch is known for being a "gamer", the kind of guy who turns it on when the lights are on and the game is underway. That's fine but you have to win the job on the practice field first.

Matt Barkley - This much is clear after watching Matt in the throwing drills, the physical talent is there. The arm strength is as impressive as any young QB we've seen since Carson Palmer. Now comes the challenging part, adjusting on the field during spring and taking in a new playbook while live defenders are flying all around. I can't wait to see how he does.

Greg Katz: Aaron Corp - His body has developed to the point that it shouldn't be an excuse not to play him. You have to like his mobility and he seems to keep his turnovers to a minimum, which of course screams out Pete Carroll's "it all about the ball." Still presents reserved leadership skills but has improved with maturity from his freshman season.

Mitch Mustain - This is the moment of truth for Mitch. There is no excuse or predesignated player like Mark Sanchez ahead of him. I found him inconsistent during the 7-on-7 drills. On Thursday he seemed in a groove and showed some spark. He admits that both he and Corp lead more by example than by a Mark Sanchez, who is very vocal and animated.

Matt Barkley - What an arm and he has the natural leadership skills that seems to be the challenge of his older competition. It is probably asking way too much to consider he will be the 2009 starter. Even in the 7-on-7 drills, he had a tendency to force the ball and threw some head scratching interceptions. He won't be intimidated by the competition but could be mentally challenged when he faces a fierce pass rush and a back seven that is going is different directions. He has it all but experience. Let's be patient with his progress and not rush him in too quickly.

Garrett Green - He was as good as any of the throwers in the 7-on-7 drills. He is a natural leader with the personality to boot. Unfortunately, it appears that Pete Carroll does not want Green to be part of the mix and prefers him at wide receiver and special teams. Could the Trojans' head coach have some trepidation that a senior like Green could actually outshine the others? One way to keep Garrett out of the competition is not put him in the competition. We might be off base on this one, but that's our gut feeling. Bottom line: Garrett took a backseat to no one at this point and appeared more savvy and polished than the other three.

Brian Matthews: Starting with Corp, you have to love his mobility and the ability to make a play when protection breaks down. Corp may not throw the prettiest ball, but he is a gamer, and I will take that any day of the week. He seems to have settled into the number one spot, and I expect him to remain there following the conclusion of spring ball.

Mitch Mustain has struggled recently during the 7-on-7's. I'm not sure if this is a response to an open competition for the starting position, but he hasn't looked the part. In Mustain's defense, he has been described as a game day player, meaning he will turn it on when Saturdays come around. The problem, everything at this program revolves around your performance in practice.

While the physical tools are there for Matt Barkley, he just does not have enough experience in this offense. Without the assistance of the gimmicky easy to learn offense of college football present, Barkley will have a tough time mastering a pro-style system tailored for experience.

Garrett Green is a guy I really thought could make waves in this competition. The problem, he has recently been switched to wide receiver and his future at quarterback remains uncertain.

Erik McKinney: Mustain – Obviously the first thing that jumps out is the 8-0 record as a starter at Arkansas. That doesn’t mean a lot when you’re battling for the starting spot at USC, but it can’t be dismissed completely. He has more experience than all of the other three combined and it’s easy to see that he’s both a “gamer” and a “playmaker.” Of course, if Carroll is looking for a caretaker at the quarterback spot and someone who will check down rather than go for a big play, that might work against Mustain.

Corp – If the offense isn’t going to be forcing the ball downfield, why not go with the guy who can play it safe with check downs and also pick up yards with his legs? Corp doesn’t have the arm that the other guys do, but he’s not exactly lobbing the ball around out there.

Barkley – It’s impossible not to notice Barkley out there during practices. He’s not blowing the other quarterbacks away in terms of production, but if you walked onto the field with no prior knowledge of any of the quarterbacks, it would be hard to pick anyone but Barkley as the starter. There’s just a different way he carries himself with his teammates and going through drills.

Green – If Green doesn’t get a legitimate chance at the quarterback spot this spring, it will be an absolute shame. There’s a reason he leapt past Mustain and Corp toward the end of the season and I can’t imagine anything has happened over the winter to make Green less deserving of a shot at the position.

* The coaches want to name a starter by the end of spring, how likely do you think it is that it will happen and will that person automatically be the starter on opening day or will the competition continue into fall camp?

Garry Paskwietz: Yes, I do think the coaches will name a starter by the end of spring and I think this strongly benefits Mustain and Corp. Those two have the most experience and Barkley would simply have to blow them away by a wide margin in order to earn the job after 15 spring practices. With the move of Green to split time at receiver it would seem an uphill battle for him to have a legit shot at the job. Carroll likes naming a guy after spring so that the new starter can go through summer workouts with the knowledge that he is the man and that would likely help either Corp or Mustain, both of whom are normally quiet and reserved and could use an adjustment period to grow into their new role.

Greg Katz: Pete Carroll will probably name a starter at the end of spring because that is what he does. We agree completely with him. No, I don't think he will open up the starting spot in fall camp because there are too many leadership issues of the offense in the off-season if he doesn't name somebody at the end of spring. A leopard doesn't change his stripes and neither will Pete Carroll. The starter he names will be the starter against San Jose St. If the Trojans lose early and the offensive is the culprit, the competition will open again in the fall.

Brian Matthews: I absolutely think the coaches will name a starter at the end of spring. Does this close off the competition? By no means. I think this move will be beneficial to see how the starter will react to the jump and also to see how the team reacts around that player. Confidence is a large part of successful quarterback play, and naming a starter following spring will help in that regard.

Erik McKinney: I’m going to say there’s a 97 percent chance that the coaches name a starter by the end of spring. The simple fact is that they’ve stated that they want to name a starter. So, logic says, they’re going to name a starter. That doesn’t mean that whoever is named the starter at the end of spring can start telling the other guys to clean his cleats and carry his shoulder pads, because there’s a huge possibility that the starter at the end of spring could be third string by the season opener. But if the coaches want a starter, they’re going to get a starter. Look at the depth chart at the end of last spring. Butch Lewis and Charles Brown were listed as the first and second-team left tackles, even though everyone knew Lewis would end up starting on the right side. It’s all for motivation.

* Assuming no injuries or other factors, do you see a scenario where Matt Barkley could be the starter at some point in 2009?

Garry Paskwietz: Assuming Matt doesn't win the job coming out of spring, I would be surprised if there is a change as the starter during the season. The starter would really have to struggle and the team would have to lose a couple early games, when is the last time that happened under Pete Carroll? I don't see Barkley automatically redshirting,however. I could see him seeing reserve action with the thought being that the QB competition will be open again next spring and Matt will have every opportunity to win the job at that point. If a player is going to be competing for a job in the near future, Carroll usually tries to get that player some kind of experience rather than use a redshirt year.

Greg Katz: I believe that with Garrett Green apparently out of the picture, Matt will be the No. 3 quarterback going into the season. Unless there are injuries to Corp and Mustain, I think that Barkley ends up redshirting. However, if he does get a couple of snaps, we know that burns his redshirt year and we have seen this done before. The best scenario is that Kid Prodigy isn't needed and retains a year of eligibility.

Brian Matthews: If Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain both go out and perform below average, I think the coaches will not hesitate to put in Matt Barkley. I think the key to a move like this is the Ohio State game, and if the Trojans lose in Columbus, Barkley may be the most logical move to follow with.

Erik McKinney: Obviously, Barkley is talented enough to start at USC and I think he could do so this year. So much is going to be made out of the true freshman thing while the other guys all have at least two years at USC. But just think of this situation as a high school senior entering college, with football completely out of the equation. It’s not like he’s forced to sign up for all-freshmen classes. He’s thrown in there with sophomores, juniors and seniors and has every opportunity to perform as well as the rest of the class.

With Barkley, it’s silly to assume that he won’t or can’t get it because he’s a freshman. If Mustain or Corp truly got it (and I mean absolutely all of it), there wouldn’t have been the shuffling last year and Barkley’s name wouldn’t be anywhere near this discussion. It’s not as crazy as you think for a first-year guy (especially one who is benefiting from spring ball) to come in and understand the playbook as well as a third-year player.

I think I’d rather see someone with some experience on the collegiate level trot the Trojans out into the Horseshoe in Columbus, but no way will I completely rule it out.