| USC has an impressive quarterback legacy that in | | | | very talented Trojan squad that won a national |
| recent history dates back to 1998 when Carson | | | | championship in 2003 and was narrowly defeated |
| Palmer took his first snap at USC and paved the | | | | by the University of Texas the following year in |
| way for future college and NFL success for his | | | | the national championship game. (The USC Rose |
| successors in Matt Leinart, Matt Cassel, and Mark | | | | Bowl loss to Texas is widely considered one of |
| Sanchez. | | | | the best college football games in history.) Like |
| The football program at USC has consistently | | | | Carson Palmer Matt Lienart was also a first round |
| been one of the most premiere college football | | | | NFL Draft Pick. Lienart was taken number seven |
| institutions for decades. Despite a rich football | | | | overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL |
| history the USC Trojans have never experienced | | | | Draft. |
| the degree of quarterback success that has been | | | | Matt Cassel was a USC quarterback who saw |
| abundant in the program over the past decade. In | | | | little time on the field as a result of his position as |
| fact, the University of Southern California has | | | | backup quarterback to both the superstar |
| experienced a consistent level of exceptionally | | | | quarterbacks Palmer and Leinart. Despite only |
| high quarterback play over a ten year period that | | | | throwing 33 passes (19 completions) in his four |
| has never been matched by any college football | | | | year college career Cassel has proven to be a |
| program ever. | | | | serviceable starting quarterback in the NFL with |
| Carson Palmer began the current ten year | | | | notable upside. After filling in for an injured Tom |
| window of excellence in the fall of 1998 when as | | | | Brady with the New England Patriots in 2008 his |
| a true freshman he took over the starting | | | | success earned him the starting position and |
| quarterbacking duties from Mike Van Raaphorst | | | | subsequent accompanying contract that goes with |
| after the eighth game of the year. Carson Palmer | | | | it from the Kansas City Chiefs. |
| had a breakout season his senior year of college | | | | Following the departures of Matt Leinart and Matt |
| when the culmination of his experience finally | | | | Cassel Mark Sanchez split time with fellow USC |
| molded him into the passer he was capable of | | | | quarterback John David Booty until Sanchez took |
| being. During his senior season Carson Palmer | | | | over full time signal calling responsibilities and |
| became the fifth overall Trojan and first player | | | | wowed NFL scouts. Despite public concerns from |
| playing a position other than running back to win | | | | his head coach Pete Carroll, Sanchez elected to |
| the Heisman Trophy at USC. On field | | | | leave school early to pursue his NFL career. After |
| accomplishments earned Carson Palmer a spot at | | | | one year in the NFL it appears that Sanchez |
| the top of the 2003 NFL Draft when he was | | | | made the right decision in leaving USC early as he |
| selected as the first overall player in the draft by | | | | was selected with the number five overall pick by |
| the Cincinnati Bengals. | | | | the New York Jets and during his rookie season |
| Matt Lienart followed in his predecessors | | | | he took the team to the AFC Championship |
| footsteps and won the Heisman Trophy (given | | | | team, an unlikely degree of success for any first |
| annually to the top college football player) as a | | | | year quarterback. |
| junior at USC. At USC Leinart quarterbacked a | | | | |