USC QB Decides to Declare

According to several reports, Mark Sanchez of USC will declare for the NFL Draft on Thursday, the final day draft eligible college underclassman could file for early entry. Sanchez, who was in his first year as a full-time starter, completed 65.8 percent of his passes for his 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns as a junior, including a breakout performance on the national stage in the Rose Bowl against Penn St. Against the Nittany Lions the California native completed 28-of-35 passes for a career-high 413 yards and four touchdowns (no interceptions).

With Sanchez’s decision to leave coming on the heels of Sam Bradford announcing he would return to Oklahoma, the quarterback position is finally settled in terms of who will be available for signal caller starved clubs such as the Detroit Lions, who own the number one over pick. Sanchez joins Georgia’s Matthew Stafford, Ball St.’s Nate Davis and Josh Freeman of Kansas St. as junior quarterbacks that have declared for the 2009 Draft. Do not be surprised if they are the first four quarterbacks off the board come April, with Sanchez potentially challenging Stafford as the top prospect at the position.

Photo Credit: Kathe Osborne (USC)