The only three-time captain in the history of USC football has an idea of how he gets better.
?You do things you?ve never done before,? Matt Barkley says.
Considering what Barkley has accomplished, that?s a scary thought. At least on an individual level.
For the second straight season, college football has a celebrity quarterback?and lock No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL draft?returning to take one more shot at winning a championship.
And like last season when Stanford?s Andrew Luck returned, Barkley has dwarfed the rest of a talented group of quarterbacks. There will be at least three quarterbacks taken in the first round of the April NFL draft?maybe three in the top five picks?and there could be more than that in 2013.
A look at the next five quarterbacks after Barkley for the 2012 season:
1. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas, Sr.: He would have been a first-round pick had he left after this season, but decided to return to?what else??try and win an SEC championship for the first time at Arkansas.
Why he?s here: All the measurables NFL teams crave: physical frame (6-feet-3, 220 pounds), big arm, athleticism. Wilson plays in a pro-style system and knows (and thrives on) the NFL route tree.
How he can improve: Decision-making, accuracy. Both come with more game repetitions. Wilson has only played one full season, and one half of one game in 2010 of meaningful snaps.
An NFL scout says: ?I love his moxie. I?ve seen him?over and over?stand tall in the pocket and just get drilled after delivering a strike. He has a big arm, and he has the right guy (Bobby Petrino) coaching him. There were a lot of people disappointed when he didn?t come out (early). I want to see him perform when they?re the hunted.?
2. Tyler Bray, Tennessee, Jr.: We haven?t seen nearly enough of the Vols? rising star (12 career starts) because he didn?t play soon enough as a freshman in 2010, and sustained a thumb injury in 2011.
Why he?s here: Potential?and loads of it. The biggest jump in production and grasp of the game for quarterbacks comes from the freshman to sophomore seasons. Bray was on his way to a big season last year (14 TDs, 2 INTs before thumb injury), and struggled to grip the ball the last two games of the season (3 TDs, 4 INTs) when he returned and played with pain.
How he can improve: Accuracy and maturity. Bray tries too often to use his strong arm to force throws. Much of that isn?t necessarily knowledge; it?s maturity. Knowing when to back off. He must become more of a vocal leader on the team.
An NFL scout says: ?A lot to like about him. He?s a little thin, but I don?t anticipate weight being an issue. You watch him, and some of the time it looks like he?s just chucking it around in his backyard. I want to see him get serious?about the game and his position.?
3. Mike Glennon, N.C. State, Sr.: Here?s all you need to know about Glennon, who was unfairly put in position as the fall guy for coach Tom O?Brien?s decision to cut ties with Russell Wilson: O?Brien thinks Glennon can be as good as Matt Ryan?who has turned into an elite NFL quarterback.
Why he?s here: While we all focused on Wilson and his Big Ten championship season at Wisconsin, we lost sight of Glennon?s breakthrough season (31 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,054 yards). Late in the year, with N.C. State at 5-5 and desperate for wins to reach the postseason, Glennon threw for 823 yards, 11 TDs and 2 INTs in victories over Clemson, Maryland and Louisville in the Belk Bowl.
How he can improve: Accuracy and wins. Every scout says the same thing: your game tape is your resume. Glennon must prove he can carry his team (like he did the last three games of 2011) through an entire season.
An NFL scout says: ?He has a very high football IQ; a guy that can step right in and run a system. Get him in the weight room, and he?ll develop into that slight frame (6-feet-6, 225 pounds). His accuracy changes with each route. Needs to be more consistent there.?
4. James Franklin, Missouri, Jr.: The wild card of the group. Franklin last season looked magnificent and mind-bogglingly lost at various times. His arm strength and athletic ability remind scouts of Robert Griffin III, but he?s much too inconsistent.
Why he?s here: Physically, the total package. A legitimate Cam Newton-type player: a strong arm and pass-first mentality and the ability (and want) to punish defenses in the run game. Find some video of last year?s Texas A&M game, and see why the Newton comparisons are easy to make.
How he can improve: Cut down on turnovers and poor decisions, and accuracy. Franklin already is under the gun before the season begins: Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost told Sporting News earlier this spring that he?d be shocked of Franklin weren?t the best quarterback in the SEC in 2012 (there are three other SEC quarterbacks on this list).
An NFL scout says: ?It?s going to be very interesting to see him play against SEC defenses. That?s a man?s league on defense; the defensive lines, the coverages, the confusion they create. It?s not only a good physical test, but a tremendous mental and emotional challenge.?
5. Aaron Murray, Georgia, Jr.: Without Zach Mettenberger?s legal problems in the 2010 offseason, Murray may not even be in this position. Or at Georgia. Instead, he?s primed to leave early for the NFL with a big season in 2012.
Why he?s here: A strong arm and a high quarterback IQ. He has terrific leadership skills and a rare toughness. He doesn?t have the same skill set as former Georgia star (and No. 1 overall pick) Matthew Stafford, but who does in the last two decades? Of the group of five, the best pure football player.
How he can improve: Accuracy. Simply put, you can?t complete less than 60 percent of your passes in college?where the passing lanes and windows are much greater than the NFL?and expect to succeed at a high level in the NFL.
An NFL scout says: ?I want to see improvement on the intermediate throws; the throws you have to make in our league. He has nice touch on the deep throws, and he understands the position. He just has to refine mechanics and throw with confidence; it?s all workable stuff.?
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