All-American Safety T.J. McDonald to Return for Senior Season

After losing a pair of juniors to the NFL draft, USC finally got one to stay at school.

Junior safety T.J. McDonald announced Wednesday that he would return for his senior season.

"Being a captain of this team... having the opportunity to do something great, that opportunity doesn't come around very often," said McDonald. "I wanna continue being part of that. And I wanna come back and finish things out and be a part of something great. And with that said I'm gonna be returning to USC for my senior year."

McDonald said he weighed his option to enter the NFL draft heavily before ultimately deciding to return.

"I can't say I wasn't ever leaning that way," McDonald said. "I was kinda confused for a bit and didn't really know what I wanted to do until after I got done with school.

"(The NFL) is my dream. That's what I've always wanted to do. (But) after looking at the big picture, after looking at everything I think that I'm making the right decision. USC is a very powerful place, and I want to be a part of this university. Not just be here for three years and cut the story short."

USC coach Lane Kiffin was understandably elated about the return of his all-American safety.

"We're obviously very excited about T.J.'s decision to return next year. He'll be a leading candidate for the Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back) in 2012 and he has a chance to be a two-time All-American, plus he will captain our team for a second straight year and graduate.

With McDonald's announcement the Trojan's will return the entire starting back-seven on defense and nine of 11 starters.

Of the four juniors who were considered possibilities to leave early for the NFL, only quarterback Matt Barkley has yet to make his decision. McDonald said he did not believe his decision to stay would have much affect on Barkley, saying that "(Barkley's) in a bit of a different situation becasue he's a quarterback."