On Friday, the USC Trojans will face the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field up in Boulder, and the Trojans' man under center, Matt Barkley, will surely be the center of attention for the game. The junior quarterback, should he turn pro, will be in a battle to be the No. 2 signal caller selected in the draft. Andrew Luck is far and away the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 selection, which puts him out of reach for the Denver Broncos.
Barkley, the Denver Post's Mark Kiszla writes, wouldn't be a bad prize for the Broncos. He might just be a great one. However, will the Broncos have top-five draft pick to select Barkley since that's where Kiszla believes Barkley will be selected?
For the moment, the Broncos are at the No. 8 overall pick. But only the Miami Dolphins ahead of them are in need of a quarterback. The Dolphins, though, are winless and competing with the Indianapolis Colts for the No. 1 overall pick. The Colts, as bad as their quarterback play has been, could pass on Luck if they believe Peyton Manning can successfully come back from his neck injury.
Unless the Seahawks finish behind the Broncos (they share a 2-5 record), the teams picking higher in the draft just drafted young quarterbacks in 2010 or traded for them once the lockout ended. The Broncos might not need a top five pick to secure Barkley--if that turns out to be the decision.
So, if you want an early look at a potential signal caller for the Broncos next year and beyond, pay a visit to Boulder on Friday night.
For more on this game, visit our Colorado blog Ralphie Report and our USC blog Conquest Chronicles. For more on college football, visit SB Nation NCAA Football.