Matt Leinart’s No. 11 hangs inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of USC’s rich tradition, which symbolizes the legacy built by some of college football’s greatest players. The Trojans have long honored their icons in this way, placing Leinart alongside legendary names like Reggie Bush, OJ Simpson, Carson Palmer, and Caleb Williams.
Matt Leinart Protects His Legacy at USC Trojans With Strong Jersey Stance
Leinart has made it clear where he stands when it comes to his iconic No. 11 jersey. He has been approached multiple times about the possibility of unretiring his number for elite recruits, but his stance has remained firm and entirely predictable given his legacy.
“When I was at USC, I got my number retired,” Leinart said. “There’s been multiple times where people at USC have asked me if I would unretire 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 unretire my jersey for some random dude who, by the way, now could wear number 11 and transfer after a year.
“The only person that will ever wear my USC number 11 would be Cole (Leinart), who’s not there right now, he is at SMU or two of my boys, if they end up going to USC and playing football, that is it.”
Leinart’s journey with USC began when he initially committed under head coach Paul Hackett. When Hackett was fired, he briefly reconsidered his options but ultimately stayed committed after the program brought in Pete Carroll. That decision proved successful, as he went on to become a three-year starter and one of the most decorated quarterbacks in school history, setting 16 program records.
Leinart became the sixth Trojan to win the Heisman Trophy, and completed his USC career with 64.8% of his passes for 10,693 yards and 99 touchdowns with 23 interceptions. The Trojans went 37-2 in Leinart’s role as the QB1 with back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004.
One more thing: Leinart never lost to USC’s archrival Notre Dame during his time as a starter. He was later selected No. 10 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He went on to play six seasons in the league, also spending time with the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders.
As for Leinart’s son, Cole, he chose SMU because he loved the culture the Mustangs are building under Rhett Lashlee. Like other supportive parents, Leinart has encouraged his son to carve out his own path.
“Being a parent is the greatest gift anyone can receive,” Leinart told On3. “To be able to watch my oldest and his journey has been incredible. I’ve always told him this is about you, your journey, your goals. If you want it, go get it. And son you have, you’ve earned this and you deserve it but it’s only the beginning. The work starts now. I’m so proud of you Cole no matter what happens. Love you!”
Coming out of Redondo Union High School in Los Angeles, Cole was a three-star recruit, being ranked No. 144 quarterback in the nation and the No. 202 player in California, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He will now play for an SMU team that went 9-4 in 2025 and finished the season ranked No. 42 in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric.
