College Football: Building a super team position by position
Building a college football super team could be as easy as trusting different schools with each position. Which school would supply each position group?
Different schools have developed their own niches in the college football landscape. Some have solved the offensive puzzle, cranking out elite skill players out of the spread year after year. Others have made their hay on the defensive side of the ball. Some win in the trenches, others have a tradition of secondary play that would make NFL teams jealous.
No matter how hard they try, no school has mastered how to develop every position to the highest level. Every coaching staff has strengths and weaknesses. There are quarterback whisperers and linebacker gurus, but seldom does the same school excel in both respects.
From running back to kicker, here is one school that stands above the rest at each position group. Putting each of these position groups together would make for one intimidating team.
There isn’t any one school that’s separated itself as a quarterback factory when it comes to NFL success. The USC Trojans might lack the professional star power, but it’s hard for any school to hold a candle to the bounty of passers that have donned the iconic Trojan helmet.
Two Trojan quarterbacks have claimed the Heisman Trophy: Carson Palmer in 2002 and Matt Leinart in 2004. Since Palmer was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2003 there have been six other quarterbacks from USC drafted, including two additional first round picks.
Four different Trojans have thrown for more than 70 career touchdown passes, led by Matt Barkley with 116. Since the year 2000, a USC quarterback has thrown for five or more touchdowns in a single game 20 times. Cannon arms and high impact offenses are the norm in southern California and the Trojans have developed their own pipeline of top quarterback talent.
The USC records books are filled with recognizable names (Mark Sanchez, John David Booty), not to mention potential first round pick in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft – Sam Darnold. Darnold is the latest in what will continue to be an impressive line of USC passers, which makes sense, given the Trojans’ place in the college football pantheon.