Rough day for Barkley

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LOS ANGELES — The video footage rolled on the big screen at the Los Angeles Coliseum Saturday. It was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announcing the fifth pick in the draft, that the Jets traded up with the Browns to take Mark Sanchez, the quarterback out of USC.

Shortly after yet another Trojans’ starter entered the NFL quarterback fraternity, young Matt Barkley took a snap from under center. But there was not a poignant moment here, nor a coincidental changing of the guard. No. Barkley, the Newport Beach resident and decorated quarterback from Mater Dei High, threw an interception.

While he is the Trojans’ No. 2 quarterback, behind Aaron Corp, Barkley certainly didn’t do any damage to Corp’s standing during the Trojan Huddle, the 110-play intrasquad scrimmage in front of 22,565.

Barkley threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball on a hand-off to the fullback. He was able to complete some impressive throws, but he called his performance, “mediocre,” as the spring season ended for the Trojans.

Barkley, Corp and quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates still called the situation a wide-open race with junior Mitch Mustain in the mix, but there seemed to be an inkling of doubt raised for the freshman, who had an otherwise terrific spring.

With an experienced quarterback who knows the offense playing in front of him, maybe it might be wise to redshirt Barkley.

“Right now, [Barkley] has a chance to be the starting quarterback, so we’re not even talking redshirt right now,” Bates said before a brief pause and stated, “That’s down the road.”

Who knows where the road will lead. But one thing’s for sure, Barkley still does not lack for confidence, even though Corp and Mustain committed fewer mistakes.

Corp completed 14 of 23 passes for 157 yards, playing with the first team, known as the Cardinal, that won, 16-10. Mustain was seven of 12 for 85 yards with an interception for the White team. Barkley, who played for both teams, went 12 for 20 for 124 yards.

“I feel the competition is still on,” Barkley said after being told no quarterback during Pete Carroll’s tenure — Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty or Sanchez — was demoted as the starter after winning the job in the spring. “I don’t have any doubt that I’m still in it. I’m going to do everything in my power to be the best I can be.”

He wasn’t the best Saturday, but he provided glimpses of his capabilities. Yet, it was the turnovers that irked Barkley. After the fumble, he angrily snapped off his chin strap, walking toward the sideline.

He also showed emotion after he thought he had thrown a touchdown pass late in the scrimmage. But Carroll said Averell Spicer had sacked Barkley, by grabbing his jersey before the throw.

Barkley disapproved. A few plays later, he threw his second interception. Still, Bates did not think Barkley remained disappointed.

“The guy believes in himself,” Bates said. “He’s going to come back and wing it the next time. I like that about him. He is very confident in himself and you gotta be. Some things happen sometimes that you’ll learn from your mistakes on film and we’ll grow from it and move forward.”

Barkley is no stranger to that process, certainly. He made some errors while at Mater Dei, but there were few even when he was bucking the trend starting for the Monarchs as a freshman.

As a junior, he completed 213 of 340 passes for an Orange County-record 3,576 yards to go with 35 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He was named Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year.

He was rated as the top senior quarterback by several publications during this past fall. He then graduated a semester early from Mater Dei to enroll at USC.

There has been plenty of transition for the Trojans, too, with Sanchez leaving for the NFL, and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian becoming the head coach at Washington.

But Barkley believes all the change in his life will only help him.

“I feel good,” he said. “I’m loving life. There’s nowhere else I would rather be. So I’m just trying to soak it up while I’m here.”

Maybe afterward, when he’s done at USC, the NFL Commissioner will be announcing another pick from USC in the first round: Matt Barkley.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at steve.virgen@latimes.com.