Tag: Matt Leinart

Nov 2, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs head coach Rhett Lashlee leads the Mustangs on to the field to face the Pittsburgh Panthers at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Matt Leinart’s QB son commits to SMU

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cole Leinart, the son of former Southern California star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, announced on social media Wednesday that he has committed to SMU.

A quarterback at Redondo Union High School in Redondo Beach, Calif., Cole Leinart is a three-star prospect rated the No. 81 quarterback in the Class of 2026 and No. 158 player in California, according to 247Sports.

“The culture they’re building at SMU — I just want to be a part of it,” Leinart told ESPN. “I love the coaching staff. They’re literally like family now. I just want to be part of what they have there.”

The recruiting service had Leinart, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound junior, choosing SMU over offers from Colorado, Pittsburgh, Georgia State and UNLV. He formerly attended Mater Dei High School and Newport Harbor before transferring to Redondo Union this fall.

His father played for USC in 2003-05, winning the Heisman in 2004 and national championships in 2003 and 2004. Leinart played in the NFL for the Arizona Cardinals (2006-09), Houston Texans (2011) and Oakland Raiders (2012). The Cardinals selected him 10th overall in the 2006 draft.

SMU (8-1) is No. 13 in the first College Football Playoff rankings, which were released Tuesday. The Mustangs are also No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll.

–Field Level Media

Oct 24, 2020; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Urban Meyer during game coverage for Fox Sports at the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Fox pregame crew subbed over COVID-19 concerns

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Fox Sports announced Wednesday evening that the network’s normal pregame show analysts — Urban Meyer, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and Brady Quinn — will be held out of this Saturday’s broadcast, with the New York Post reporting that the reason is related to COVID-19 concerns.

Per the Post report, the show’s analysts and host Rob Stone will be shelved for this weekend’s show leading into the Arizona State-Southern California game in Los Angeles because of quarantine protocols.

While the network did not disclose the specific purpose of the move, it did post a statement on Twitter that cited safety guidelines from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and “out of an abundance of caution for our team.”

Instead of the usual group, the network will feature host Charissa Thompson along with analysts Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long and Emmanuel Acho. Bradshaw and Long are longtime members of the network’s Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, on which Thompson is an occasional reporter. Acho participates on the daily “Speak For Yourself” show on Fox Sports 1.

In addition to the cast change, Fox announced that this week’s pregame program will be shortened from the normal two-hour format to one hour, starting at 11 a.m. ET before the noon ET kickoff at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

–Field Level Media