Former USC Heisman-winning quarterback Matt Leinart’s No. 11 jersey has been retired for over two decades, but requests to wear it on the field remain.
Leinart shared on an episode of his “Throwbacks with Matt Leinart & Jerry Ferrara” podcast last Thursday that there have been “multiple times” people at USC have asked him to unretire his jersey for a prospect.
“I said, ‘absolutely f—ing not.’ I am never going to unretire for some random dude, who by the way, now could wear No. 11 and transfer after a year,” Leinart said.
He added he would do it only for his son, Cole, who committed to SMU in November 2024, or his other two boys if they played football and went to USC. Leinart also specified that Cole reached out to him “a couple years ago” about unretiring it for another player.
“He’s like, ‘Hey dad, hey, this linebacker, I think he’s going to SC, he wants to wear your jersey. Would you let him wear it?'” Leinart said.
In a post on X on Tuesday, the former NFL quarterback clarified that head coach Lincoln Riley hadn’t asked him if a recruit could have the No. 11.
Coach Riley hasn’t asked me if a recruit can wear my number so we can settle that right now. I’ve been asked in the past before and have said the same thing every time. This isn’t a big deal! Fight On ✌️
— Matt Leinart (@MattLeinartQB) March 17, 2026
On the podcast episode, Ferrara posed a hypothetical in which a five-star prospect offered Leinart $1 million for the number, wondering if it would change his answer. Leinart still wouldn’t budge, emphasizing the No. 11 is “not for sale.”
“That kid, probably chance of him staying at USC after two years is slim anyway. So it ain’t happening, bro. I’m keeping that up there forever. You can call me selfish. I don’t give a s—,” Leinart said.
However, the retired number of a former Trojan great has been worn at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in recent years. Carson Palmer won the Heisman Trophy in 2002 prompting USC to retire his No. 3 jersey in 2003. Jordan Addison — who transferred from Pittsburgh to USC in 2022 after a Biletnikoff Award win — first wore the No. 3 while in high school because of Calvin Ridley, his favorite receiver, and continued in college.
When Addison got to USC, Riley gave him Palmer’s number and said he would have to call the former quarterback for the No. 3. Addison received his blessing and wore the temporarily unretired digit during a 2022 campaign where he had 59 receptions for 875 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Leinart started for USC from 2003 to 2005, arguably the most successful runs in program history. He is second all time in passing touchdowns (71) behind Palmer and fourth in career completions (524) and passing yardage (6,878). The Arizona Cardinals selected him as the No. 10 pick in the 2006 NFL draft.
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