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Mark Sanchez, QB

Overview

Overview

Sanchez surprised many, including coach Pete Carroll, with his decision to leave after serving as the starting quarterback of the Trojans for just one season. It's hard to find fault with his production. He was first-team All-Pac-10 in completing 65.8 percnt of his passes for 3,207 yards, 34 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions and led USC to a surprisingly easy victory over Penn State in the Rose Bowl. His effort against Penn State (28 of 35 passing for 413 passing yards, four TDs) and a weak senior class of quarterbacks created the momentum to catapult Sanchez into first-round conversation. Teams considering Sanchez that early do so at their own risk. He has less than the equivalent of a full NFL season as a starter. Regardless of how impressive he was at times for USC, this small sample size might not be enough to convince NFL teams he's worth millions as a pillar of their franchise. Had an arm span of 33 1/2 inches and a hand span of 10 1/2 inches at the combine.


High School

Scout.com All-American first team, Super Prep All-Farwest, Prep Star All-West, Long Beach Press-Telegram Best in the West first team, Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Orange County Register Fab 15 first team, Gatorade California Player of the Year, Cal-Hi Sports All-State first team, All-CIF Southern Section, All-CIF Division II Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Los Angeles Times All-Star, Los Angeles Times All-Orange County Back of the Year, Orange County Register All-Orange County and All-South Coast League Co-Offensive MVP as a senior quarterback at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High. He completed 151-of-245 (61.6 percent) passes for 2,441 yards with 24 TDs and for interceptions in 2004 despite sitting out 8 halves because Mission Viejo was winning handily. Mission Viejo was the CIF Division II champion in 2004. As a junior in 2003, he made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass second team, All-CIF Division II, Orange County Register All-Orange County first team and All-South Coast League first team. He completed 161-of-211 passes (76.3 percent) for 2,460 yards with 29 TDs and seven interceptions, plus he ran for 90 yards and caught a touchdown pass in 2003. In one game in 2003, he was 12 of 12 for 326 yards and four scores. Mission Viejo was 27-1 in his career. He also played basketball and baseball at Mission Viejo. Current Trojans Collin Ashton, Billy Hart, Ryan Powdrell and Drew Radovich prepped at Mission Viejo. His coach at Mission Viejo was Bob Johnson, the father of former USC and NFL quarterback Rob Johnson. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at Santa Margarita High in Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.), where his first varsity pass as a 2002 sophomore went 55 yards for the game-winning touchdown.


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Analysis

Analysis

Positives: Ascending talent whose intangibles for the position are just as impressive as his physical tools. ... Cerebral. ... Reads defenses well and rarely throws into coverage. ... Goes through his progression quickly and takes what the defense gives him. ... Recognizes the blitz very well for a player of his experience and often targets the defenses' weak link when being blitzed. ... Good setup and a smooth, over-the-top delivery. ... Legitimate NFL arm strength. ... Capable of making every NFL throw, including the deep ball. ... Rather than relying on pure arm strength, Sanchez combines good velocity with rare anticipation, especially for a player of his limited experience. ... Consistently releases his passes before his receivers have even made their breaks, giving the defense little time to react. ... Distributes the ball all over the field. ... Good short-, medium-, and long-range accuracy. ... Consistently places his passes where only his receiver can get it and throws a very catchable ball. ... When healthy, showed very surprising mobility for his size. ... Can evade the pass rush and will scramble if the defense gives free yards. ... Rare accuracy on the rollout. ... Squares his shoulders and can fire the ball with consistency and accuracy. ... Team captain. ... Blue-collar work ethic.


Negatives: Only one season as the starter and leaves USC with just 16 career starts. ... Career record of 4-2 outside of the state of California. ... Undeniable tools, but isn't yet a finished product. ... Runs a bit hot and cold and has a tendency to score touchdowns in bunches. ... Characterized by those close to the program as a very cerebral player who makes the right read, but many of his touchdown passes went to receivers with five or more yards of separation between the next closest defender, opening up some questions if USC's dominant athletes and the team's aggressive play-calling helped him look even better. ... Suffered a dislocated left knee cap prior to the season opener and his mobility was limited.


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