NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Matt Sanchez, QB, USC by Jody Jamieson
7/2/2009
Sanchez is one of many good pro quarterbacks to come out of USC in the past decade. When you look at Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and John David Booty, it's clear to see that USC is the place to be when it comes to learning to play quarterback in preparation for a pro career. But not many quarterbacks who've come out of any school will have had to deal with the undressing Head Coach Pete Carroll gave Sanchez in his press conference when it was announced that the signal caller would go pro a year early. The biggest difference between Sanchez and the QB's who played under Pete Carroll previously at USC was everyone else stayed in school until their Senior Year. Sanchez may have just completed his 4th year at Southern Cal, but he was a redshirt in 2005.
Carroll completely disagreed with Sanchez and his decision to go pro, which was likely made due to Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy deciding to stay in school. Carroll ripped the decision pointing out the lack of success underclassmen have in the NFL at the quarterback position. He also noted that Sanchez could have done with more experience in college due to only starting 16 games in college. That being said, Sanchez will not turn 23 till November, so there's no need to rush him into starting contention in the NFL anytime soon. He can sit behind someone and learn for a couple of years with no pressure to perform right away.
What we like about Sanchez
At 6' 3" and 225, Sanchez just looks like a quarterback. He has mobility to go with his size which helps him avoid pressure. If he has to roll out, he looks very comfortable throwing on the move. Has good pocket skills and awareness. USC's pro system is a great learning tool for going into the NFL. Strong arm, and throws a good deep pass. While there are concerns about Matt Leinart's work ethics, those same concerns can't be attributed to Sanchez. Footwork is outstanding, especially on play action.
Question Marks about Sanchez
Inexperience is the number one worry. He threw less than 500 passes in his college career, which isn't a lot when you consider Matthew Stafford (junior from Georgia) had over 1,000. Accuracy is OK, but could be better. Scouts will wonder if he's a one year wonder after his sophomore season wasn't particularly impressive.
Highlight of his college career
Sanchez finished his career at Southern Cal with an excellent performance in the Rose Bowl against a very tough Penn State defense. Sanchez was 38/35 for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 38-24 victory. ( Check out the YouTube video for his performance)
Other snippets
Sanchez is a third generation Mexican-American, which made him very popular in Los Angeles. There are approximately 3 million Mexican-Americans living in Los Angeles.
Jeff Garcia and Tony Romo are two other successful Mexican-American quarterbacks.
Sanchez could go as high as #3 overall to Kansas City, but if he drops, there are any number of team who may be interested including San Francisco, Chicago, or the Jets.
NCAA Scouting - Player Profile:
Carroll completely disagreed with Sanchez and his decision to go pro, which was likely made due to Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Colt McCoy deciding to stay in school. Carroll ripped the decision pointing out the lack of success underclassmen have in the NFL at the quarterback position. He also noted that Sanchez could have done with more experience in college due to only starting 16 games in college. That being said, Sanchez will not turn 23 till November, so there's no need to rush him into starting contention in the NFL anytime soon. He can sit behind someone and learn for a couple of years with no pressure to perform right away.