Matt Barkley might not be in the NFL yet, but that doesn't mean USC's junior quarterback is immune from weighing in on the phenomena sweeping the nation that is Tebowmania.
The same day Barkley filed paperwork to the NFL draft advisory board seeking input on where he could be selected in next April's draft -- a common move for most draft-eligible juniors, according to the Los Angeles Times -- he discussed Tebow's recent success in the NFL that has moved the once-skeptical Barkley into the pro-Tebow camp.
"I find it so intriguing," Barkley added. "I haven't really respected his quarterback play for the longest time just because I like typical drop-back quarterbacks, that's just who I am."
Much like Tebow, Barkley is known for his strong Christian faith, but the Trojans' QB said he does not intend to use his position as a platform for his religious beliefs. Tebow recently has taken some criticism from ex-Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer and current NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner for his penchant for injecting God into football conversations.
"That's not my personality," Barkley told the Times. "I'm not so outspoken like that. I've always kind of been somebody who keeps to myself. I would keep the same platform I have, speaking to people, to kids, but not much more than after a game saying, 'Praise God.' I don't think I'd take it that far."
Barkley threw for 3,528 yards with 39 touchdowns to only seven interceptions this season and is considered by most college football pundits as one of the top Heisman Trophy candidates along with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III. Barkley and the Trojans went 10-2 this season but will not compete in a bowl game due to NCAA sanctions. Barkley has a mid-January deadline to make himself eligible for the 2012 draft.
