Ranking USC Trojans Best Offensive Players in History: Matt Leinart, OJ Simpson?

Who are the best USC Trojans in program history? Rankings quarterback Matt Leinart, running back OJ Simpson, running back Reggie Bush, wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson and tight end Fred Davis, etc.

Apr 2, 2006; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback (11) Matt Leinart and tailback (5) Reggie Bush prepare for the 2006 USC Pro Day at Katherine B. Loker Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images © Copyright Mark J. Rebilas / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans won’t retake the field until September 21st when they face off against the Michigan Wolverines. The marquee clash between two historical programs with credentials too storied to list in a singular paragraph will be a crossroads game for each team but for different reasons.

The Trojans are riding high at 2-0 after a come-from-behind win over SEC foe LSU, and their first shutout in over a decade in their home opener against Utah State. Momentum and belief are as important as anything in football. The Trojans have the ball rolling but are looking to solidify their standing.

Sep 7, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Miller Moss (7) celebrates with USC Trojans wide receiver Kyron Hudson (10) after scoring a touchdown against Utah State Aggies during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images / Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

First-year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and a slew of new faces along the defensive staff have helped USC carve out a new identity on the defensive side of the ball. One that the Trojans hope to enforce against the Wolverines.

The defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines are coming off a 31-12 shellacking against the Texas Longhorns. The added dimension of taking that type of loss in “The Big House” pours salt in the wound. The Wolverines, who have a presumed bounce-back game against Arkansas State this Saturday, will look to get back on track before their week four clash with the Trojans.

Two teams, equal in history, but headed in different directions, this game is much bigger than one result. The winner and loser of the game will have lingering effects as they both push through the daunting Big Ten schedule.

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USC Football Offensive Top Five:

Jan 04, 2005; Miami, FL, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart sits on the bench with running back LenDale White during the fourth quarter of USC's 55-12 win in the 2005 Orange Bowl over the Oklahoma Sooners. Leinart, who threw 5 touchdowns, was named the game's MVP. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2005 by Preston Mack / Imagn Images

We’ll go more in-depth next week, but since it’s an official bye-week, Let’s have some fun, shall we? Scrolling through the USC Football page a picture of Matt Leinart popped up and sparked my interest about the best quarterbacks in USC history. From there, thinking about how much talent has rolled through USC, I had to stack up the names against each other.

Looking through the statistics is mind-blowing in a sense, but one thing I’ve always felt was important was to contextualize those numbers. Especially when comparing different eras, numbers don’t always tell the full story. The same goes for National Football League production.

There’s always going to be players who peak in college and conversely, players that are late bloomers and end up having better professional careers than they had at the collegiate level. Stats aren't everything, and impact alone is not enough to sit on a list like this. A blend of both makes for the best argument and that's the criteria used for this list.

With a legacy as strong as USC’s, we’ll surely have some disagreements, but that’s what makes this fun. 

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Quarterbacks:

Jan 1, 1988; Pasadena, CA, USA: FILE PHOTO; Southern California Trojans quarterback Rodney Peete (16) in action against the Michigan State Spartans during the 1988 Rose Bowl where MSU beat USC 22-14. Mandatory Credit: Long Photography-Imagn Images / Long Photography-Imagn Images

1. Matt Leinart 
2. Caleb Williams
3. Carson Palmer
4. Rodney Peete 
5. Matt Barkley 

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Running Backs:

Jan 4, 2005; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Southern California Trojans tailback Reggie Bush heads up field on the first play form scrimmage in a 55-19 victory over Oklahoma in the FedEx Orange Bowl during the BCS National Championship at Pro Player Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. OJ Simpson
2. Reggie Bush
3. Marcus Allen
4. Charles White
5. Lendale White

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Wide Receivers:

Jan 04, 2005; Miami, FL, USA; USC Trojans receiver #2 Steve Smith celebrates with #8 Dwayne Jarrett after scoring a TD during the second quarter in the 2005 Orange Bowl held at Pro Player Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2005 by Preston Mack / Imagn Images

1. Keyshawn Johnson 
2. Mike Williams 
3. Dwayne Jarrett
4. Steve Smith
5. Robert Woods

Tight Ends:

Oct 6, 2007; Los Angeles, CA; USA; Southern California tight end Fred Davis (83) scores on a 63-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter of 24-23 loss to Stanford at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. Fred Davis
2. Charles Young III
3. Dominique Byrd
4. Rhett Ellison 
5. Scott Galbraith

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Offensive Lineman:

Dec 5, 2009; Los Angeles, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Southern California Trojans offensive lineman Tyron Smith (70) in action against Arizona Wildcats defensive tackle Earl Mitchell (49) at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK / Peter Brouillet-Imagn Images

1. Tyron Smith
2. Anthony Munoz
3. Bruce Matthews
4. Tony Boselli
5. Ryan Khalil

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Play Callers:

Mar 31, 2005; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin (left) and quaterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian during spring football practice at Howard Jones Field on the campus of the University of Southern California. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

1. Norm Chow
2. Steve Sarkisian
3. Lane Kiffin 
4. Lincoln Riley
5. Tee Martin

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