Matt Leinart

Leinart is one of the elite performers in the collegiate ranks. He was the unquestioned leader of the most dominating team in the country and led the squad in its quest for a third consecutive national title. The left-handed quarterback recovered from left elbow surgery that forced him to miss 2005 spring drills. He also dealt well with the loss of his mentor, offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who left for the same position in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans. Leinart was a standout prep quarterback at Mater Dei High School. He earned Parade, Super Prep, Prep Star, Student Sports Senior All-American, Prep Star Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Super Prep All-Far West, Prep Star All-Western Region Super 30, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Las Vegas Sun Super 11 first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Gatorade California Player of the Year honors in 2000. He also garnered Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division I Co-Offensive MVP, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Serra League accolades as a senior. He completed 192 of 309 passes (62.1 percent) for 2,870 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2000. Against national champion De La Salle High, he was 31-of-47 for 447 yards and four scores, leading his team to a 9-3 record in 2000. As a 1999 junior, he was the All-Serra League Offensive MVP while completing 150 of 233 passes (64.4 percent) for 2,400 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Mater Dei was the CIF Division I co-champion in 1999. He sat out his 1998 sophomore season with a rotator cuff injury to his left (throwing) shoulder. Leinart redshirted as a freshman in 2001 at Southern California. He appeared briefly in the Colorado, Oregon and UCLA games in 2002, but did not attempt a pass while being listed third on the depth chart behind Matt Cassell and Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer. Leinart won the starting job over Cassell by a slight edge in 2003. His passing efficiency, touchdown passes and won-lost record in 2003 was better than Carson Palmer's in '02. Leinart completed 255 of 402 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,556 yards, 38 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a sophomore. He set a Pac-10 Conference record with 212 consecutive passes without an interception that year. His 164.5 passer efficiency rating was the best in school history and his 38 touchdowns not only set school and conference single-season records, but rank second in NCAA Division 1-A annals by a sophomore quarterback, one shy of the 39 by Marshall's Chad Pennington in 1999. His 3,494 yards in total offense rank second and his 255 completions rank third on USC's annual record charts. Leinart was the Heisman Trophy winner and garnered consensus All-American honors for the second consecutive season. He ranked seventh in the nation with a 156.5 passer efficiency rating. Leinart threw for 3,322 yards on 269 of 412 attempts (65.3 percent) with 33 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His 3,278 yards in total offense rank fourth on the school's single-season record list. Leinart won the 2005 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top senior quarterback (USC's third recipient, along with Rodney Peete and Carson Palmer). He won the 2005 Touchdown Club of Columbus' Quarterback of the Year Award and finished third in the 2005 Heisman Trophy voting. He was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and the Maxwell Award, and one of four finalists for the Cingular-ABC Sports All-American Player of the Year Award. He was also a finalist for the Walter Camp Award and Manning Award. Leinart was named a 2005 Football Coaches and Walter Camp All-American first-team pick, adding second-team honors from the Associated Press and College Football News. Only the second quarterback to ever earn All-Pac 10 Conference first-team honors three times in a career, Leinart completed 283 of 431 passes (65.7 percent) for 3,815 yards and 28 touchdowns with only eight interceptions as a senior. He also ran for 36 yards on 51 carries (0.7 avg) with six scores. Southern California was 37-2 when Leinart started (his 94.9 percent winning percentage is the highest of any USC quarterback ever and is the second-best mark in NCAA history, minimum 25 starts, behind Toledo's Chuck Ealey, who was 35-0). He was just the third quarterback in the last 30 years to lead his team to back-to-back national championships. In 42 games with the Trojans, Leinart started 39 times. He completed 807 of 1245 passes (64.8 percent) for 10,693 yards, 99 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. Leinart scored nine times on 132 carries and gained 10,623 yards in total offense with 108 total touchdowns. He ranks second on the Trojan career total offense list behind Carson Palmer (11,621, 1998, 2000-02) and ranks fifth on the Pac-10 Conference all-time record chart. He joined Palmer (11,818) as the only USC passers to throw for over 10,000 yards in a career, a figure that ranks sixth in conference annals. His pass completion percentage of 64.8 set a school all-time record and his career touchdown/interception ratio of 99/23 and interception percentage of 1.84 percent set an NCAA Division 1-A career record. He threw at least two touchdown passes in 34 games, with at least three scores in 20 of those contests and four touchdowns in ten games. He averaged a touchdown pass every 12.3 career attempts. His career passer efficiency mark of 159.7 is fifth on the NCAA list, one spot below USC quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian (who was at 162.0 at Brigham Young, 1995-96).

leinart reads defenses well and makes good decisions. he will lock onto his primary target some and needs to look off better at times, but made improvements in this area as a senior. he's tough hanging in the pocket and has a good feel for the rush. he has the mobility to avoid pressure and maintains zip and accuracy throwing on the move. he's an effective scrambler but isn't a real elusive threat running downfield.

Leinart shows the poise to rally his team from behind and makes a lot of big throws in the clutch. He's not a great athlete but does find a way to make things happen. Leinart took dancing classes during the 2005 offseason to improve his overall agility. He shows the foot quickness and balance to get into position in order to make the throw. He carries the ball chest high, demonstrating the quick release, arm strength and velocity to throw tight spirals on deep routes.

positives

Has an athletic frame and while not overly muscled, he has good thigh and calf thickness, long arms, large hands and good mobility in the pocket...Has the foot work needed to get to his throwing point quickly...Has a compact release, keeping the ball high to unleash deep tosses with ease...Puts good velocity behind his tosses and is good at getting the ball over the outside shoulder of his target...Displays good touch and timing on his passes, showing good improvement in waiting for plays to develop rather than forcing the ball into a crowd in 2004...Cool under pressure and has enough short area speed to step up to avoid the pass rush...Has good command on the field and in the huddle...His short touch allows him to hit his receivers in stride...Gets good trajectory and velocity behind his long throws...Makes good adjustment calls at the line of scrimmage and shows a good feel for the edge rush and inside blitzes...Does a good job of looking off his primary target to locate the secondary receivers...Has enough mobility to roll out in either direction...Runs with a normal stride, building to top speed on occasions when he runs with the ball...Has the leg strength to break tackles...Good decision maker who will absorb a few hits while waiting for his targets to get open.

leinart keeps his cool under pressure and is quick to locate his secondary targets. leinart has improved his trajectory on his deep throws since the 2003 season and no longer forces his passes into traffic (see 2003 byu and california games). still, there are concerns about his left arm. he had rotator cuff surgery in high school, followed by 2005 offseason elbow surgery that sidelined him throughout 2005 spring drills.

Leinart has the talent to join Atlanta's Michael Vick (2001) and the L.A. Rams' Terry Baker (1963) as the only lefty QBs to be taken #1 overall in the draft. To date, Steve Young is the only left- handed quarterback to earn Hall of Fame status. While it is certain that Leinart will one day earn HOF honors at the college level, 2005 was a true test for him. He erased any lingering concerns about his left arm and proved that he was capable of continuing his success without mentor Norm Chow to guide him. Needless to say, he's the best passer the school has ever had, Carson Palmer included.

negatives

Further medical evaluation is needed on his left arm (elbow)...Has good short area mobility, but lacks the second gear needed to elude when running with the ball... Patient in the pocket, but is not a threat as a ball carrier...When he does roll out in the pocket, he needs to do a better job of protecting the ball...Will wave the ball around and does not secure it before trying to run up field, resulting in a few fumbles...Has functional arm strength, but will hang the ball up at times when trying to fire deep over the middle.

leinart is a tall pocket passer with enough mobility to be effective throwing on the move. he has only adequate quickness, but shows fluidity when he does setup. he carries the ball numbers high and delivers it with good mechanics and release quickness. he squares his shoulders, gets his hips into it and throws off his front foot consistently.

Leinart finishes with a good follow through and the ball comes out tightly spiraled. He's accurate at all levels and made very good improvement in 2004 with his overall touch. He used to try to out-muscle a few throws and that would result in him missing some wide-open targets. He makes a lot of checks at the line, has good field vision and is patient going through his progressions.

1998: Sat out his high school sophomore year after undergoing left rotator cuff surgery in September. 2003: Left the Arizona State game in the second quarter with left knee and ankle sprains, but returned to the contest in the third quarter. 2005: Missed spring drills after undergoing left elbow arthroscopic surgery to address tendonitis.

Campus: Not available.

Attended Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Cal.) High School, playing football for coach Bruce Rollinson

Earned Parade, Super Prep, Prep Star, Student Sports Senior All-American, Prep Star Dream Team, Student Sports Top 100, Super Prep All-Far West, Prep Star All-Western Region Super 30, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Las Vegas Sun Super 11 first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100 and Gatorade California Player of the Year honors in 2000

Also garnered Cal-Hi Sports All-State second team, All-CIF Southern Section first team, All-CIF Division I Co-Offensive MVP, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-Serra League accolades as a senior

Completed 192-of-309 passes (62.1 percent) for 2,870 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2000

Against national champion De La Salle High, he was 31-of-47 for 447 yards and 4 scores, leading his team to a 9-3 record in 2000

As a 1999 junior, he was the All-Serra League Offensive MVP while hitting 150 of 233 passes (64.4 percent) for 2,400 yards with 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions

Mater Dei was the CIF Division I co-champion in 1999

Sat out his 1998 sophomore season with a rotator cuff injury to his left (throwing) shoulder.

Graduated in 2005 with a degree in Sociology

Was born with strabismus (cross-eyes), as his left eye was not aligned with his right (he underwent surgery when he was 3 years old and was fitted with glasses)

Born 5/11/83

Resides in Santa Ana, California.