At about 6:15 p.m. PST, Garry Paskwietz informed those in attendance at the WeAreSC recruiting dinner at The Papadakis Taverna, that Matt Barkley had verbally committed to USC. Matt met with Pete Carroll and Steve Sarkisian on Saturday and informed them today that he wanted to be a Trojan, like his father Les.
Statement from Matt:
Today I called Coach Carroll to give him my commitment to becoming a Trojan. I am very excited about my decision, it is one that my family and I have given serious consideration to and have prayed about a great deal.
I chose USC because I simply love the football program and because of the great education I will recieve. There is a incredible tradition of competition, excellence, enthusiasm and winning that I am excited to be a part of. I have the greatest respect for Coach Carroll, Coach Sarkisian and the entire coaching staff and what they have accomplished. I look forward to playing football for them.
I want to thank my family for all their love and support. I also want to thank Coach Rollinson, Coach Money for all they have taught me and thank my teammates at Mater Dei for making me a better quarterback. With this important decision made, I look forward to focusing completely on my senior year of high school football.
We spoke to Matt's father, Les, and he said, "Matt loves USC, he's always loved USC and his heart is at USC."
