USC is Quarterback U

Your USC Trojans are Quarterback U.

I didn’t say it — I’m just reporting it.

A recent study from NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread reveals that USC is the ‘Pipelines to Pros’ favorite for quarterback talent at the next level.

The list went as follows:

1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. Florida State
4. Oregon
5. Fresno State
6. Auburn
7. Cal
8. Stanford
9. Texas
10. NC State

Here’s a full link to how they scored these results.

The story opens by detailing what the project is all about. The Pipelines to Pros series will look at eight positions over the past 20 NFL drafts and see which schools have provided NFL teams with the most draft choices and most impactful players at each position, early on in their careers.

That last bit is the most intriguing to me as the ‘early in their careers’ bit means that those players are ready to go right out of college.

The USC Trojans have sent Mark Sanchez, Carson Palmer, Sam Darnold, Matt Leinart, Matt Cassel, Cody Kessler, Matt Barkley and John David Booty into the NFL over the past 20 years. There’s no denying the talent at the quarterback position for USC over that span.

It also notes that of those quarterbacks, only Darnold and Barkley are on rosters as of the 2020 start of the NFL season.

Kedon Slovis will likely join that bunch in two years after his three-year eligibility window before he can enter the draft runs out as he’s largely seen as a top prospect already for the draft in 2022.

Still, Goodbread makes note that the Oklahoma Sooners, ranked No. 2, are pressing USC for the lead at the position. Slovis’ emergence onto the scene last year and his eventual drafting will be the only ‘hope’ to remain at the top.

But for now — USC is Quarterback U — and you can tell your friends you have the data to back it up.

The full story is here.