LOS ANGELES – In the annals of great USC quarterbacks, a club not short on membership, Cody Kessler might seem, at first glance, like an odd invitation.
He is not a physical prototype. At 6-foot-1, he’s 4 inches shorter than the likes of Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart. His arm, while adequate, is not as strong as Palmer’s or Mark Sanchez’s, either. He will not leave USC with a national title or a Heisman Trophy or even a Rose Bowl victory. After this week’s Holiday Bowl finale against Wisconsin, he’ll enter the NFL draft, and will almost certainly be drafted outside of the first – and probably second – round.