|
One of the best playmakers in the collegiate ranks, Jarrett has been very good at using his size to create mismatches vs. the smaller cornerbacks the Trojans have faced. While he lacks blazing speed, Jarrett has garnered most of his success because of his field awareness, size and timing his leaps to get to the ball at its high point.
Even though he opted to test his wares in the pro ranks after only three seasons at USC, he finished his career as the Pac-10 Conference's all-time leader with 41 touchdown catches and as the school's career record holder with 216 receptions.
Before attending Southern California, Jarrett was a 2003 Parade, SuperPrep and PrepStar All-American selection. He added SuperPrep Elite 50, PrepStar Top 100 Dream Team, SuperPrep All-Northeast Offensive MVP, PrepStar All-East and New Jersey Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior wide receiver and defensive back at New Brunswick High School.
Jarrett scored 26 touchdowns (including all three in New Brunswick's 21-14 state title victory), with five of the scores coming on his 15 punt returns (for a 48.0-yard average) in 2003. As a junior in 2002, he had 40 receptions for 956 yards (23.9 avg.) with 17 touchdowns on offense and recorded 24 tackles with six interceptions on defense. He also played basketball at New Brunswick.
He enrolled at Southern California in 2004, making an immediate impact. Jarrett earned Freshman All-American honors from the Football Writers Association, The Sporting News, College Football News and Rivals.com. He was also an All-Pac-10 Conference honorable mention and a member of The Sporting News Freshman All-Pac-10 first team. Jarrett appeared in 13 games, taking over as the starting split end in the final eight contests. He caught 55 passes for 849 yards (15.4 avg.) and 13 touchdowns (fifth-most scores in a season by a Trojans receiver).
Jarrett was one of three finalists for the 2005 Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver). He won the Touchdown Club of Columbus' Wide Receiver of the Year Award and was named to The Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, Football Writers, Walter Camp, The Sporting News, The NFL Draft Report, Sports Illustrated and College Football News All-American first teams. He joined Mike Williams as the only USC sophomore wide receivers to win All-American honors.
That season, he ranked 12th nationally in receptions (7.0 per game, second in Pac-10) and 13th in receiving yards (98.0 per game, fourth in Pac-10). His 91 catches were good for third on USC's single-season record list. His 16 touchdown catches were the most in the nation in 2005 and put him third on the Pac-10 single-season record chart (tying Williams' USC season record). He had a touchdown catch in nine different games and five 100-yard receiving games. With 1,274 receiving yards, he was the Trojans' ninth receiver to break the 1,000-yard barrier in a season.
Jarrett was hampered by injury problems that began in fall camp in 2006. A quadriceps strain in mid-August would linger throughout the early stages of the season. He suffered a left shoulder separation vs. Arizona that forced him to miss one game and see limited action in two others. He later suffered a concussion on a 25-yard touchdown catch against California. Still, he earned The Associated Press and Walter Camp All-American first-team accolades, making him USC's first-ever two-time All-American first-team wide receiver. Jarrett finished the season with 11 starts in 12 games, grabbing 70 passes for 1,015 yards (14.5 avg.) and 12 touchdowns.
In 38 games at Southern California, Jarrett started 31 times. He set the school career record with 216 receptions and the Pac-10 Conference all-time mark with 41 touchdown catches, gaining 3,138 yards (14.5 avg.), joining Johnnie Morton (3,201) and Kareem Kelly (3,104) as the only players in school history to gain more than 3,000 receiving yards in a career.
|