From Rivals.com:

The debate lasted only a few seconds.

When Rivals.com set out to rank the top 100 prospects in order for the class of 2009 and assign them stars, there was a consensus that Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei quarterback Matt Barkley should be the No. 1 player in the country.

The 6-foot-4, 222-pound gunslinger was the runaway choice for the top spot. As a junior, Barkley threw for 3,560 yards, 35 touchdowns and completed 62 percent of his passes against some of the top competition in California. He never threw for less than 253 yards in a game this season, and he saved his best performances for the best teams on the schedule.

Matt is a big-time prospect and even better individual.  No doubt he has the big arm and great decision-making skills, but his footwork makes me hesitant to believe that he’s the #1 overall player.  Nevertheless he’s a fantastic player and should be one of SC’s top priorities in the class of 2009.