Well, unless Mark Sanchez has a sudden change of heart (and hasn’t already contacted an agent), USC must move forward and start preparing for a major battle for the Quarterback position.

The race will supposedly be between backups Mitch Mustain and Aaron Corp. Mustain played some light minutes for the Trojans this season, often getting pulled after throwing an interception. Aaron Corp threw 4 pass attempts all year, in the first two games of the season, before moving down the depth chart below Mustain.

Mustain will be a senior, and therefore most deserving. However, his performance this season was less than stellar. Some 1st team practice experience, in addition to significant game time, could perhaps clean that up.

However, Mustain will still lack the experience that Sanchez stepped into 2008 with. Sanchez was 2-1 in the 2007 season, throwing over 100 pass attempts for 69 completions and nearly 700 yards. He had a passer rating of 123.22.

In comparison, Mustain threw 16 pass attempts for 157 yards, 2 touchdowns (one of which accounted for 59 of his yards), and 2 interceptions. This is hardly the gametime experience that USC would want from a Senior Starter. He will have to develop as the season progresses, which does not look good for hopes of an undefeated season.

Corp will be a sophomore this year, and thus spending gametime developing can be excused as preparation for the long run.

But if Pete Carroll is truly thinking ahead, he will put in the #1 High School Quarterback of the last two years, Matt Barkley. As ESPN.com’s Ted Miller notes in his blog, Carroll generally chooses experience over talent, even if that experience is only in practice. Mustain could win over Barkley simply by knowing the system better.

Barkley has an advantage, though. Not only is he the most talented high school quarterback in recent years, with prototypical size and a rocket arm. He is also a true pocket quarterback.

Throw all that talent aside, and you still have the fact that Barkley is already on the University Park Campus. Yes, Matt Barkley graduated early from high school, and is on campus. What wonders could Carroll work with an extra semester to teach Barkley the playbook, and get him started on conditioning?

That answer I will leave to the future, but the possibilities (USC’s first 4 year QB in a long time) are quite enticing…