Countdown to kickoff is back! USC will kick off its 2026 football season on August 29 when the Trojans host San Jose State at the Coliseum. In this series, we will be counting down the days until the season opener by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number.
Today, we look at USC Heisman Trophy quarterback Matt Leinart.
Position: Quarterback
Years played at USC: 2001-2005
Career highlights: After redshirting in 2001 and serving as a backup behind Heisman winner Carson Palmer in 2002, Leinart won USC’s starting quarterback job as a redshirt sophomore in 2003. His first start came in the road at Auburn, and he threw a touchdown on his first career pass attempt as he led the Trojans to a dominant 23-0 victory.
Over the next three years, Leinart led USC to an incredible 37-2 record. The Trojans won the 2003 and 2004 national championships, giving Leinart as many national titles in his college career as losses. In 2005, they came up one game short of winning a third consecutive title, falling to Texas in an instant classic Rose Bowl.
Leinart was named a first-team All-American and a Heisman finalist in both 2004 and 2005. In 2004, he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the second USC quarterback to take home the honor in three years. He finished his time in Cardinal and Gold as USC’s all-time leader in touchdown passes and No. 2 in passing yards—although he was later passed by Matt Barkley in both categories.
After USC: The Arizona Cardinals selected Leinart with the 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Although he spent seven years in the league, Leinart’s NFL career is widely viewed as a disappointment, as he never lived up to the hype that surrounded him coming out of USC. He finished his time in the league with a 57.1 completion percentage and 15 touchdown passes to 21 interceptions while spending time with Arizona, the Houston Texans, and the Oakland Raiders.
Since retiring from football, Leinart has been a regular presence around the Trojans program, serving as a mentor to numerous other USC quarterbacks. He also works as an analyst on Fox Sports’s “Big Noon Kickoff” college football pregame show.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart