Former USC quarterback Matt Leinart is taking a very firm stance on whether he would ever allow the school to issue his number again.
Leinart said on his “Throwbacks” podcast that un-retiring his No. 11 was a non-starter unless one of his sons went to USC and wanted to wear it. He suggested he had been asked before about allowing it to be worn again, but refused.
“There’s been multiple times where people at USC have asked me if I would unretire my jersey for some five-star prospect. And do you want to know what I told those guys straight up? ‘Absolutely f—–g not,'” Leinart said. “I am never going to unretire my jersey for some random dude, who by the way, now could wear No. 11 and transfer after a year.”
Leinart said he would not even allow a recruit to wear the number if he was offered $1 million for it, saying it is “not for sale.”
Leinart did take to X on Tuesday to make clear that Trojans coach Lincoln Riley had never asked Leinart about un-retiring his number, and downplayed the story.
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
There is precedent for this sort of thing at USC, as former quarterback Carson Palmer allowed Jordan Addison to wear his No. 3 in 2022. Leinart will clearly not be doing the same for anyone.
Retired numbers are serious business, and players have sparked controversy in the past by seeking to wear them. Leinart is clearly saving people the trouble of asking, because the answer will obviously be no.
Leinart won a Heisman Trophy at USC and won consecutive national championships at the school. Someone else wearing his number with that legacy would be fairly strange anyway.
