Matt Leinart says USC should contend for the 2026 College Football Playoff under Lincoln Riley, thanks to a top recruiting class, returning quarterback Jayden Maiava, and a deep roster. He questions how Gary Patterson’s 4-2-5 defense will adapt to the Big Ten, while stressing Riley’s ongoing confidence and the need for players to execute, comments he shared across SI interviews and related campaigns.

Sports· Aug 26, 2026

Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image by FOX Sports via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Matt Leinart

American football player (born 1983)

0members1here now

Ask Genius Site

Site Journal

Feed Discussions About

Sort by

Content type

Latest Matt Leinart news and discussion

Sort by

Content type

Matt Leinart· Sports · 5 sources · Aug 26, 2026Story

Leinart: USC plans CFP push in 2026

Sports· Aug 26, 2026

Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image by FOX Sports via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0).

Matt Leinart across IJR

Studio characters

Matt LeinartTrash talk, trophy stories, dad jokes — court is in session.

Ask Genius by OpenServe about Matt Leinart Create in Studio Build a game Watch videos

About Matt Leinart

Matthew Stephen Leinart is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the USC Trojans, winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the team to a perfect season in 2004. Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft, Leinart primarily served as Kurt Warner's backup for four seasons. He spent his final three seasons in a backup role for the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders. Leinart was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

members

here now