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Cole Leinart, son of former USC QB Matt Leinart, commits to SMU


Cole Leinart, son of former USC QB Matt Leinart, commits to SMU

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A familiar last name will soon return to college football.

Cole Leinart, the son of former USC national champion quarterback Matt Leinart, announced his commitment to SMU via social media on Wednesday.

According to 247Sports, Cole Leinart is a 3-star quarterback in the 2026 recruiting class. According to the recruiting website, he has offers from Colorado, UNLV, Pitt and Georgia State. He is also the No. 81 quarterback and No. 158 player in California, although he is not listed in the 247Sports composite rankings.

“Proud daddy,” Matt Leinart posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday.

Matt Leinart, the 2004 Heisman Trophy winner, was the No. 10 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft after winning the 2003 and 2004 national championships with the Trojans. He was selected to two All-American teams and his No. 11 jersey is no longer available at USC.

Matt Leinart's NFL career wasn't nearly as successful, however, as he completed 366 of 641 passes for 4,065 yards with 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in his seven-year career. He started 16 games in his first two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, but was traded midway through the 2007 season and only started two more games the rest of his career.

Cole Leinart will now join SMU, a program with a lot of momentum. Currently ranked No. 13 in the College Football Playoff rankings, the Mustangs are 8-1 in their first ACC season and have a good chance to make the 12-team playoffs.

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