Matt Leinart Clears the Air With Lincoln Riley, Jersey Number Drama

Former USC Trojans quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart started a discussion on social media after he revealed that USC has asked him to un-retire his No. 11 jersey in an attempt to land a high-profile recruit from the past. Leinart made it clear that he does not intend to un-retire his jersey number, but many assumed that it was USC coach Lincoln Riley who made the request of Leinart.

With some Trojans fans jumping to blame Riley for the hiatus in the USC vs. Notre Dame rivalry, the Trojans coach became an easy target for those speculating which coaching staff had the courage to ask Leinart to un-retire his number for a high school recruit.

usc trojans matt leinart jersey controversy lincoln riley speculation retired number heisman trophy recruiting — Nov 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans former quarterback Matt Leinart leads players onto the field before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Matt Leinart Clears the Air

However, Leinart quickly cleared the air with a post on social media:

"Coach Riley hasn’t asked me if a recruit can wear my number so we can settle that right now. I’ve been asked in the past before and have said the same thing every time. This isn’t a big deal! Fight On," Leinart posted.

Fans will likely still wonder which USC coaches might have asked Leinart to un-retire his number, but the Trojans' recent success on the recruiting trail suggests that the current coaching staff won't need to make that request.

With the help of general manager Chad Bowden and a revamped recruiting staff, Riley and the Trojans signed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2026. For the class of 2027, USC recently landed five-star athlete recruit Honor Fa'alave-Johnson out of San Diego, and the program is once again trending positively for multiple local prospects.

USC's efforts to prioritize recruiting in California are seemingly paying off, and the strategy also helps keep West Coast prospects out of the hands of rival schools like UCLA and Oregon.

Fa'alave-Johnson was reportedly deciding between the Ducks and the Trojans before eventually opting to stay closer to home. The Trojans are also in good position for four-star cornerback Danny Lang, set to commit on March 25.

Matt Leinart's Original Quote

Leinart brought up the story of USC asking to un-retire his jersey during an appearance on Bakersfield Now:

"When I was at USC, I got my number retired. There's been multiple times where people at USC have asked me if I would un-retire my jersey for some five-star prospect. And do you want to know what I told those guys, straight up? I am never going to un-retire my jersey for some random dude who, by the way, now could wear No. 11 and transfer after a year," said Leinart.

"The only person that will ever wear my USC No. 11 would be Cole (Leinart), who's not there right now, he's at SMU. Or two of my boys, if they end up going to USC and playing football. That is it."

Leinart has a point now that college football players can transfer freely without any penalties. Changing teams is almost the norm in the sport, especially at the quarterback position.

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