I bet even among UCLA football fans the name Matt Barkley sounds a lot more familiar than Andrew Abbott.
In 2007, Barkley and Abbott starred for Mater Dei High School, one of the top teams in Orange County.
Now the former teammates stand on opposite sides of the UCLA-USC rivalry and at opposite ends of the college football universe.
Barkley, as you’ve probably heard, is the new wunderkind at USC, a highly-touted freshman quarterback whom coach Pete Carroll says is more advanced than any first-year quarterback he’s coached. There is a good chance Barkley will start for the Trojans, who are shooting for an eighth-consecutive Pac-10 conference championship.
And Abbott is here in Westwood, just trying to earn some recognition.
Unlike Barkley, Abbott did not receive any Division I scholarship offers. He walked on at UCLA last fall as a defensive back but sat out the season.
Now Abbott, a small but solidly-built redshirt freshman, wants to help the rebuilding Bruins in any way he can. In training camp this month he is fighting for playing time at the nickelback position.
“I feel like I’m competing with everyone,” he told me. “I’m not just competing with guys from UCLA, I’m competing with guys from across town, across the country. I have big goals and aspirations.”
Abbott always thought of himself as a Division I athlete. He had a big senior season at Mater Dei ““ 790 yards as a receiver and 35 tackles and four interceptions at cornerback. A few accolades came as well: first-team All-Trinity League, All-CIF, All-Orange County.
Still, Barkley received almost all of the media attention. He was rated as the top prospect in the country. One quarterback guru described him as a cross between Tom Brady and Joe Montana in a story published in the New York Times. In January 2008, Barkley announced that he would attend USC.
It was those same winter months when Abbott started to worry, he said. No scholarship offers came. He was in his coach’s office everyday. A few small schools called, but nothing like what Abbott had imagined during the season.
“I thought I was a little better than a Division III school,” Abbott told me. “I just believe in myself. I’ve always been a confident guy.”
So he started searching. Abbott and his coaches looked for places where Abbott could compete for playing time.
After a meeting with UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel, Abbott chose the Bruins.
Abbott redshirted and did not play in any games last year, but from day one he impressed in practice. Now, coaches are considering him for a position typically occupied by a scholarship player or a player with more experience.
I asked new UCLA defensive coordinator Chuck Bullough about the battle for the nickelback spot, and he said he is still trying different players. Right now, it seems like the frontrunners are Abbott, sophomore Tony Dye, redshirt sophomore Courtney Viney and freshman Alex Mascarenas.
The nickelback, Bullough told me, has to be an intelligent player because the position requires both man-to-man coverage and an understanding of various blitz schemes. Although the nickelback only enters the game in certain situations, he is nonetheless a crucial for player the UCLA defense, which hopes to dominate.
Abbott practiced with the first-team nickel defense and had an interception Friday. Near the end of that practice Abbott suffered concussive-like symptoms, however, and he will be held out until at least Tuesday. He told me his head was not hurting Saturday and that he was sitting out because of a protocol that UCLA has for treating head injuries.
As with most of the position battles, coaches are waiting until they have had more time to work with players and analyze tape until they announce their choice.
But for Abbott there is a bit of added pressure and stress because he is not one of the 85 UCLA players on a scholarship.
“Everyday I feel like I have to prove myself,” he told me. “Things aren’t promised. I have to work harder than the scholarship guys just to get noticed.”
There’s a lot at stake for Abbott. He told me times are tough, and it’s obvious that he would like to receive a scholarship. That is more likely to happen if Abbott can contribute this season. He said there hasn’t been much conversation about whether he will get the scholarship. He said he is trying to only focus on what he can control.
“I don’t go to coach Neuheisel and bug him about a scholarship,” he said. “If it comes it’s going to come. I have to just let it happen. I’m only trying to come out to practice and make plays everyday.”
When I asked to Neuheisel ““ who makes the ultimate decision about walk-on players ““ what he thought of Abbott, he called Abbott a “very savvy football player,” but added that the team’s secondary is filled with young talent.
It’s nothing like the type of attention that Barkley has already received this summer at USC. Barkley has been in all the headlines since Aaron Corp, Trojans’ top quarterback, injured his knee.
Football coaches don’t care so much about the publicity, though. They care about what they see on the field.
And so if Abbott and Barkley continue to perform, I think there is a real chance that the Nov. 28 UCLA-USC game will be not just the annual meeting of two rivals but also a reunion for two high school stars.
“That would be crazy,” Abbott said. “That would be so crazy to look across the line and see Matt.”