Clay Helton discusses QB Matt Fink's decision to move on from football
USC coach Clay Helton confirmed in a conversation with TrojanSports.com that veteran quarterback Matt Fink does not intend to play an extra year in 2021.
Fink, who was a redshirt senior last season, had the opportunity to return for a sixth year with the NCAA extending the eligibility of all fall sports athletes due to the pandemic, but he will instead plan to move on after completing his master's degree at USC this spring.
The Instagram account TrojansTalk first posted about Fink’s decision.
"Matt came in as we started the semester, right before winter workouts and sat down [with me]. He's finishing up a master's, which I'm so proud of him. You're talking about a kid that not only has his degree here, he's going to have his master's after this spring, has some big-picture aspirations of what he wants to do in life and has some opportunities that are out there after he finishes his master's this spring," Helton said. "So I know it was weighing heavily on his mind and we got a chance to sit down and visit on it, and he was nothing but first-class in saying, 'Coach, this has been the opportunity of a lifetime to be here at USC, to make the memories that I have, to be a part of a football family. I've not only got my degree, I've got my master's, and it has provided me some unbelievable opportunities to start the next chapter of my life and I think I'm heading that way.'
"I left the door open in case he has a change of heart -- he's still in school going through school right now, but he has some great opportunities and is finishing his master's and feels like this is the right time to take that next step in his life."
Fink had considered leaving USC in the spring of 2019 when he put his name in the NCAA transfer portal, but he ultimately decided to stay put, opened that season as the No. 3 QB and came off the bench that September to lead the Trojans to a win over Utah in which he completed 21 of 30 passes for 351 yards, 3 touchdowns and 1 interception after starter Kedon Slovis was forced out with a concussion early. It was both USC's best win that season and the highlight of Fink's time with the program.
Overall, he completed 71 of 106 passes for 737 yards, 5 TDs and 5 INTs and also ran for 94 yards and 2 TDs while appearing in 15 games and 1 start (2019 vs. Washington, the week after that Utah game) during his time with the program.
The Trojans' QB depth chart is a little fuller this year with 4-star freshmen Jaxson Dart and Miller Moss arriving as early enrollees to compete behind Slovis. Mo Hasan is also back for another year after joining the program last season as a walk-on grad transfer from Vanderbilt.
Helton reiterated that Fink is not presently looking to play anywhere else with his final year of eligibility, but rather he is simply ready to move on to a new chapter.
"As of right now his plan is to go into the real world with some of the opportunities that have been afforded to him," Helton said.