Barkley not pressured by No. 1 ranking
by Nick Ironside
Trojan recruit Matt Barkley is handling his No. 1 ranking in stride.
Southern California has always been a hotbed for quarterbacks. The state has boasted top-ranked quarterbacks in two of the last three recruiting classes. 2009 is no different, with Mater Dei High School’s play-caller Matt Barkley at the helm. After a phenomenal junior season, with 35 touchdowns and just nine interceptions, passing the ball seemed to be a breeze for the 6-foot-3, 226-pound quarterback.
Barkley struggled early in 2008, but he has shaken off the pressure and returned to his groove.
“There’s definitely a target on my back, and on Mater Dei’s, just because of that media pressure,” Barkley stated. “I don’t really feel any pressure to live up to anything, I’ve just been playing the same football, just seeing our team, and making sure we know what we have to do.”
Barkley said that he is not caught up in having five stars on recruiting websites.
“They can say what they want, but that’s not going to matter. To me, it’s about winning a championship for my team, and that’s what the big thing is.”
The Monarchs’ quarterback said he has never felt extra pressure on the field, not even while waiting for scholarships to come.
“I think playing three years on varsity before I committed, people have seen me play, and my style of play, and I wasn’t playing to get a scholarship.
“I guess that’s what the ultimate goal is, but obviously I’m playing football because I love it and the game, but now that I’ve committed, I don’t think of it any differently in the way I play football. Now I have the security of knowing where I’m going.”
His college destination, the University of Southern California (USC), isn’t far from his home, which is one of the reasons he’s heading there.
“I was born and raised here in Southern California, and I’ve been a Trojans’ fan for quite a while,” said Barkley.
“I just thought it would be a place where I would get the opportunity to excel in the future, and just the idea of graduating from USC and playing football there is a dream for me. Playing with people like coach Carroll, and just being apart of the winning tradition they’ve established there. That’s why I knew where I wanted to go.”
While Barkley may not graduate until mid-way through 2009, in late January his junior year, he made his choice public. While many recruits seem to want to wait out the recruiting process, Barkley felt it wasn’t worth waiting.
“If that’s where I knew I wanted to go, why not get it done early? And I try to convince other athletes and other players to come to Southern Cal with me, kind of acting as an off-shore recruiter for SC and trying to get the best players in the country to play with me.”
The future Trojan has spoken to other recruits, specifically star defensive end Devon Kennard, about becoming a part of Southern Cal.
“I talk to Devon Kennard, a defensive end out of Arizona, and other SC recruits – we’re all cool,” Barkley said. “Adam Hall, we’re also trying to get as well. We’re all pretty tight, and we were all at the SC camp earlier this summer, and it was fun, and we’ve been talking since then.”
Topics of conversation between the two mostly include their current teams’ play.
“We’re just calling to see how we’re doing, and stuff like that – nothing too intense. Just seeing how our games went, and a lot about our football games, and just stuff like that.”
Barkley’s game extends off the field. Throughout his three years in high school, the quarterback has a 3.9 cumulative GPA. Barkley prioritizes academics high on his list.
“I know that [academics] will carry me through life, and that one day football will
be over, so to have an academic base and to have that education and eventually degree from USC will be really important,” Barkley said.
“And I also think just having that habit of studying and getting your work done will pay off, and make for good habits for later in life.”
Barkley thinks all student athletes should always have academics at the very top of his/her list of goals to accomplish.
“Football’s going to stop one day, so what are you going to do after that? You have to have a base of what you can build off of for whatever you do after that.”
Although the transition to college is difficult for many, Barkley doesn’t feel his academics will take a hit when he is enrolled at Southern Cal.
“Yes, it’s going to be different,” says Barkley. “Especially with my mindset, and
what I’ll have to do. But I don’t think it will be that difficult.”
“I think it [school work] is kind of tough during the season, just because of how
long we practice and getting your work done. But I get it done by just getting my work done and not procrastinating, and working hard.”
A lot of time can be spent debating the topic on which award players would rather win in college: a national title or a Heisman Trophy. It didn’t take long for the southern California native to state his opinion.
“I’d say a national title, just for the tradition of the school and what SC has done.”
Barkley, however, knows nothing is guaranteed in the next four years.
“I’m not going to guarantee a trophy or a ring right now. But I think, down the line, with the recruits SC is bringing in, all the talent that the team has, I definitely think there’s going to be a possibility of winning a national championship.”