Rebels could add USC transfer

Steve Guiremand

Wednesday, June 8, 2005 | 8:56 a.m.

USC redshirt freshman quarterback Rocky Hinds was granted his release from the two-time national champions Tuesday afternoon, opening the way for a potential transfer to UNLV.

Hinds, who threw three touchdown passes to lead his Gold team to a 34-14 victory against the Cardinal squad in USC's intrasquad spring game in April, reportedly was upset that he was ranked only third on the team's depth chart heading into fall camp behind 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and highly touted sophomore John David Booty.

Mark Sanchez, the Parade Magazine national player of the year after leading Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School to the mythical prep national championship, joins the team in the fall and many believe he could be the heir apparent to Leinart for 2006.

"The numbers were just not in my favor," Hinds told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday night. "It was a hard decision. USC was always my dream school."

Although there have been rumors floating since mid-May that Hinds was going to leave USC, it wasn't until Tuesday that Trojans head coach Pete Carroll granted him his release.

"Rocky came to me and said he wants to transfer," Carroll said. "He's a great kid and I'm disappointed. I was excited about him, because he had a good chance to compete for the quarterback job here in the future. But he didn't see it that way. He said he wants to go somewhere where he thinks he'll have a better opportunity to play."

And that somewhere could be UNLV. The Los Angeles Daily News, citing several unnamed sources, reported last Friday that Hinds was expected to transfer to UNLV.

Hinds, however, told the Times he hasn't made a definitive decision yet.

"A lot of schools are in the mix --- it never was just UNLV," Hinds said. "That was just a school I was looking at. I know they have a great offense there that fits me well."

UNLV head coach Mike Sanford refused to comment on Hinds, citing NCAA rules which prohibit a coach from talking about a potential transfer until that school has an official copy of that player's scholarship release. That could take up to a week.

However, on the surface it would appear that the athletic Hinds would be tailor-made to take over the role of Alex Smith in Sanford's popular spread-option offense.

A 6-foot-4, 220-pound former prep All-American from St. Bernard High School in Playa del Rey, Calif., Hinds was one of the most coveted high school quarterbacks in the nation in 2003 despite not playing a down after suffering a torn right knee ligament. Besides possessing a strong passing arm, he also has been timed at 10.47 in the 100 meters and 4.42 in the 40-yard dash, and has high-jumped 6-7.

"Rocky Hinds is a physical specimen," new Trojans quarterback coach Steve Sarkisian coach said recently. "The kid has tremendous upside, and he's going to get better. His future is so bright."