Later today, USC will announce whether Matt Barkley will be healthy enough to return to play in the Sun Bowl early next week (here’s a hint: he won’t).
Following the Trojans’ first postseason game since 2009, one of Barkley’s top targets over the past three seasons will announce whether he’ll return to play one more collegiate season.
After USC arrived in El Paso Wednesday for on-site bowl preparations, wide receiver Robert Woods confirmed to reporters that he will reveal his NFL intentions Monday, after the Trojans square off with Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl. It’s expected the true junior will forego his final season of collegiate eligibility, with the Orange County Register writing that "[s]ources said Woods would probably turn pro, barring a last-minute change of heart.”
Woods is USC’s career leader in receptions, but has seen his role in the passing game decreased by the continuing emergence of Marqise Lee, who staked his claim to the Biletnikoff Award earlier this month after eclipsing Woods’ single-season school receiving record. Despite being relegated to “an afterthought” and Option B behind Lee, Woods still managed 73 catches for 813 yards and 11 touchdowns thus far this season.
If as expected Woods makes himself available for the 2013 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Times writes that Woods stated “he received a draft evaluation from the NFL that gave him a range that topped at the second round.”
While we’re here, and in other USC Sun Bowl news, the Trojans likely didn’t endear themselves to either the El Paso Chamber of Commerce or the Yellow Jackets thanks to a pair of “incidents” upon their arrival. As far as the former is concerned, defensive lineman Leonard Williams referred to El Paso as a “sh***y city” in a tweet that was subsequently deleted; in the latter misstep, the Trojans as a team were an hour or so late for a dinner feting both Sun Bowl participants. Tech ended up leaving the feast just as the USC entourage was arriving.
Yep, never a dull moment when a Lane Kiffin-coached team is involved.