As the USC Trojans prepare to pick up their fourth win of the season on Saturday night, a Trojan legend is set to make his return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
On Tuesday, USC Athletics announced that former quarterback Matt Leinart has been selected as the tunnel captain for Saturday night’s game against Michigan State.
OFFICIAL: Heisman winner and College Football Hall of Famer @MattLeinartQB will lead @uscfb out of the tunnel against Michigan State on Saturday!#FightOn | @Lyfe_Law pic.twitter.com/C5il5BLJXR
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) September 16, 2025
Leinart, 42, will lead his alma mater out of the tunnel for the first time since November 2014, when the team hosted Notre Dame.
Matt Leinart Named USC Trojans Tunnel Captain Against Michigan State
USC has a rich history of beloved players to have played in the Coliseum, but Leinart is one of the most beloved after leading the team to three straight National Championship appearances (2 wins) in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
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The Trojans won two out of the three National Championships Leinart led them to, including a dominant 55-19 Orange Bowl victory against Oklahoma, where he went 18-35 with 332 yards, 5 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.
In that same season, he became the sixth Trojan to win the Heisman and the second quarterback to do it since Carson Palmer just two years prior.
In 2004, his historic season came to an end when he threw 3,322 yards with 33 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a 65.3 completion percentage.
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After he finished his senior season, he entered the NFL Draft and was selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals. In 2007, USC retired his number 11, which now sits behind the east end zone.
The Trojans will be looking to earn their fourth straight win of the season on Saturday at an 8:00 PM kickoff against the Spartans.