Best USC football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore

The deck was stacked against Carson Palmer early in his career with the Trojans. He struggled early on as he was the starter under Paul Hackett and then suffered a season-ending injury after three games in his true sophomore season. But when he finally got healthy and took back over, especially once Pete Carroll took over the program, he showcased his greatness, particularly in the 2002 season.

As USC enjoyed their first truly great season under Carroll, Palmer thrived as the leader of the offense. The quarterback in his fifth season threw for 3,942 yards, 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, all of which were career-highs by a wide margin. And he certainly racked up the accolades for his efforts.

Not only did Palmer win the 2002 Heisman Trophy but he was also the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was honored as a Consensus All-American. For good measure, he also led the Trojans to an Orange Bowl victory over Iowa to complete an 11-2 season, which paved the way for two straight titles after Palmer left.

Palmer remains second all-time in USC history in career passing yards with 11,818 and fourth all-time in career passing touchdowns with 72. Had he played his entire career under Carroll (and remained fully healthy, the quarterback likely would’ve gone down as an even more undeniable great at USC than he already did.