Lane Kiffin might be the LSU Tigers’ head coach, but the USC Trojans still hold a special place in his heart. More than a decade after his unceremonious exit from the Coliseum, the LSU head coach took a firm stand for the Trojans’ legendary trio, ft. Matt Leinart. 

Kiffin came across a tweet that asked fans to name a trio that had “moved college football” more than USC legends Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and Matt Leinart. The Tigers’ head coach replied, “No One.”

Kiffin came to USC  five years after the trio left for the NFL. But their legacy was always going to be heralded by everyone who followed, particularly Matt Leinart’s. The QB was ranked as the 18th best quarterback of the millenium by ESPN. He stepped in at a time when USC thought they wouldn’t get a signal-caller better than his predecessor, Carson Palmer. Leinart was the crown jewel of USC’s initial dominance in the early 2000s.

The QB won the Heisman in 2004 and also came close to giving the Trojans a third consecutive Natty. Against a challenging Notre Dame in 2005, Leinart held his cool after a fumble in garbage time went for a play that would become iconic in USC history. He braved a stout Irish defense in a dash to the end zone and was aided by Bush to push him over to the goal line. This game finds itself in ‘Game of the Century’ lists. Leinart probably managed to win over the remaining few skeptics who underestimated him afterwards.

The iconic QB ended his career with 10,693 career passing yards, which is the third-highest total in program history. Now, USC wants to take away from his legacy by un-retiring his jersey.

At USC, bringing Heisman-number jerseys back from the vault isn’t new. During Matt Leinart’s run, his teammate, safety Darnell Bing, had the chance to wear No. 20, which belonged to USC icon Mike Gartt, the program’s first Heisman winner. Carson Palmer’s No. 3 was worn by WR Jordan Addison in 2022. But Leinart stands very firm in his viewpoint of not allowing the No. 11 to be brought back. 

“There’s been multiple times where people at USC have asked me if I would unretire my jersey for some five-star prospect,” Leinart said on his podcast. “And do you want to know what I told those guys straight up? I said, ‘Absolutely f—- not.’ 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.”

Lane Kiffin’s “No one” might have been his show of support for Leinart.

As soon as Leinart dropped the bomb, fans started to drag USC head coach Lincoln Riley into the matter. Many of them believed the Trojans’ head coach had come up with the request. The legend had something to say about it. 

Matt Leinart pulls Lincoln Riley out of the controversy

USC now rules in California when it comes to high school recruitment. The state’s best talent is keen on joining the Coliseum, as is evident in Riley signing the No. 1-ranked class in 2026. They seem to be on the same momentum in 2027, having won the commitment of 5-star prospect Honor Fa’alave Johnson. This trend led many to think Riley must have thought of getting one of his elite recruits to wear the No. 11. But Matt Leinart refuted all those rumors.

“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 ✌️,” the former quarterback wrote on X. 

The legendary QB said that the only people he’d ever let wear his jersey number are his sons. Cole Leinart plays at SMU, so he won’t be able to carry his father’s legacy forward at USC. Maybe sometime in the distant future, if one of his two younger sons get to suit up as a Trojan, Matt Leinart would allow the program to bring down his iconic jersey.