Apparently, Pete Carroll is now beginning his recruiting visits on USC in grand style. Several times, I have walked by the brand new USC Cinema Building (which is beautiful, by the way) and seen Pete Carroll on a rolled-out red carpet with his recruits and their families. This is one element of a USC visit that I doubt rival schools will be able to mimic.

In Senior Bowl practice, USC Linebackers are consistently raising their stock. Rey Maualuga manhandled Clemson’s RB James Davis in one-on-one drills, but it is Brian Cushing who is turning heads. Showing great understanding, instincts, and an excellent ability in blitzing from the outside, Cushing is showing his versatility and ability to potentially adapt to a 3-4 system.

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…

The media says Mark Sanchez is leaning towards the NFL, but Sanchez’ father Nick claims that the Trojan QB is still undecided. Apparently, he was waiting for coach Pete Carroll before making a decision. Also, Nick Sanchez admitted that his family strongly encourages Mark to stay in school. Tomorrow morning is the deadline for NFL Draft declarations, so we shall see.

For more, here is the source of my information: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/draft09/news/story?id=3833465 .

Pete Carroll announced yesterday that top NFL prospect Taylor Mays will not be entering the NFL Draft, as reported by the The Daily Breeze.

Also returning are draft eligible halfback CJ Gable and cornerback Josh Pinkard. Still no news on Mark Sanchez.

However, Mays’ return will definitely impact Sanchez’ decision. With Mays still on the team, the Trojans’ defense retains an All-American Safety on a defense that will definitely need his leadership, as he will be the only returning starter.

With Mays’ integral talent and leadership returning to the defensive side of the ball, Sanchez will hopefully jump at the chance to steer his offense towards a National Championship.

Where only one player (Mays) is returning on the defense, only one player (WR Patrick Turner) is leaving the offense. If Sanchez returns, the Cardinal and Gold offensive attack will flourish, and possibly reach the level of the Leinart-Bush days.

Sanchez is still expected to return, despite the national hype surrounding his Rose Bowl performance.

However, Taylor Mays was expected to leave, showing that anything is still possible.

Yesterday, I read on ESPN.com that Trojan offensive guard Jeff Byers—although a senior already—will have not a fifth, but a sixth year of eligibility. This is great news for the USC offense. Byers has been a stalwart on the line all year, and is an examplary student as well as athlete. Coaches praise his work ethic; he was a walk on who earned his way to a starting position. Not only does he grind it out on the practice field, but he (to borrow a Ben Stiller quote) likes to break a mental sweat as well. With a 3.27 GPA and already having earned his B.A. in Business Administration, Byers is currently working towards his masters degree. He is also a candidate for the Lowe’s Senior Class award, which recognizes all-around excellence in Senior athletes.

This offseason, Byers plans to gain 15 points and reach 305. With his athleticism and experience, Byers will surely be a major anchor in next year’s line. He was one of two offensive starters expected to leave after the Rose Bowl (along with Patrick Turner). Now, the O-line returns all its starters, and the offense only loses one wide receiver. With a year of starting experience under Mark Sanchez’s belt, and an O-line with plenty of chemistry, who knows what next year’s Trojans can accomplish?