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"It's the landscape right now, so we have to go with it. The horror is what if it turns out like basketball? Kids are recruited in the ninth grade. Guys are getting pinpointed coming out of junior high."
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Of course, Carroll isn't going to say no to talents like Barkley if they want to commit early. In fact, Carroll didn't sign a quarterback in February's class for the first time in six years. Even then, Brandon Hance transferred in from Purdue in 2002. Barkley has noticed, saying, “it does work out nicely.”
So what is USC getting? A kid who is following the legacy of Matt Leinart, the owner of one of these jerseys in the glass case. (The other Mater Dei Heisman winner is John Huarte, who won the statue at Notre Dame in 1964).
Leinart is one of nine college quarterbacks who have come out of coach Bruce Rollinson's program in his 19 seasons. Barkley was the first to start as a freshman, turning 15 the week of the 2005 season opener.
Three seasons later, Barkley is 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. The kid who grew up with a poster of John Elway in his room, looks (a little bit) and throws (a lot) like him.
Barkley's private quarterback coach, Steve Clarkson says, "His skills are off the charts."
You would expect most personal coaches to say that about their students, except that Clarkson is not easily impressed. At his Air 7 camp he has tutored everyone from Leinart to the Clausen brothers to Ben Roethlisberger to J.P. Losman.
The picture, as you will see, is almost too perfect to believe.
As a freshman, Barkley was allowed to call some rudimentary audibles. Confused by the defensive front, the quarterback once came to the line and barked out, "Wait a minute."
After getting the offense into the right play, Barkley handed off to the tailback who went 34 yards for a touchdown.
“That's when you know you have something that's going to go good,” Rollinson said.
Picture the Mater Dei practice field last spring populated with Carroll, Cal coach Jeff Tedford and offensive coordinators Jimbo Fisher (Florida State) and David Cutcliffe (formerly of Tennessee).
Fisher and Cutcliffe had to catch a flight but stayed long enough to see Barkley's first few throws."
"Matt's first two balls were pretty nice," Rollinson said. "His third ball is a comeback route to the wide side. That's a 20-yard throw across the field. He uncorks a rocket ship. Cutcliffe and Fisher said, 'Tell him he's got a full ride to Florida State or Tennessee.' "
It's all perfect in the O.C. Les Barkley is a financial consultant who used to play water polo at USC. Matt's twin freshman siblings are athletes themselves. Sam is a receiver on the varsity. Lainy is captain of the freshman volleyball team. Both parents are slim and athletic looking but when it is suggested that neither looks like they have the genes that were passed on to Matt, mom Beverly chides, "What, you don't think I'm big?"
Awkward moment over?
Well, not quite. Les Barkley's Lexus was hit last month in an accident as he drove to Mater Dei from the family's home in Newport Beach. It was for this interview. The car still is in the shop.
"Don't worry about it," Les said.
And so there is guilt after the interview but no suspense at the top of the class of 2009. The nation's No. 1-rated player in next year's recruiting class is a laidback teenager who lives 10 minutes from the ocean, 20 minutes from school and plays guitar at a non-denominational church of 6,000. Going to USC pretty much keeps it that way.
"We played some of the toughest teams in California, if not the nation," Matt says. "The knowledge they installed in me is the best thing I have going for me."
Three years ago Barkley became that first freshman quarterback starter at Mater Dei since Todd Marinovich in 1983. He was the first freshman starter for Rollinson, who has won five CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) titles since taking the job in 1989.