Flanker Smith is named MVP

Other Trojans receivers largely overshadowed Steve Smith during his USC career, but the sure-handed senior flanker was recognized as the Trojans’ most valuable player during the program’s annual awards banquet Thursday night at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

Smith, who was selected to one All-American team, caught a team-best 64 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns. With All-American split end Dwayne Jarrett out because of a shoulder injury, Smith had 11 receptions against Washington State. He also caught 11 passes at Oregon State.

Smith had weighed turning pro after last season, but returned for a final year and is thought to have increased his potential draft position.

On Thursday afternoon, after three days off, the Trojans resumed practice for the Rose Bowl against Michigan, which will be Smith’s final game.

“It’s a little weird to think it’s going to be the last one, but it hasn’t changed my focus,” he said after the workout.

Smith would not mind finishing his career with a bowl-game performance similar to his spectacular 2005 Orange Bowl, when he scored three touchdowns.

“That would definitely be a great way to go out,” he said. “You want to go out with a bang.”

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Defensive linemen Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson, offensive lineman Sam Baker and running back Chauncey Washington have said they would return for their senior seasons, so Coach Pete Carroll has spent time gathering information for Jarrett to consider.

Jarrett, a junior, has said he would wait until after the Rose Bowl to decide whether he would turn pro.

“He has not been distracted by it at all,” Carroll said.

Carroll said the period between the Rose Bowl and the Jan. 15 deadline to declare for the NFL draft would be easier than last season when at least six juniors explored leaving and five opted to turn pro.

“It was hard on those kids and on us,” Carroll said.

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Ellis and senior center Ryan Kalil won the Pacific 10 Conference’s Morris Trophy, presented annually to the conference’s top offensive and defensive lineman as voted by conference players.

It is only the fourth time in 27 years, and the first time since 1991, that the winners came from the same school.

“That award means more to me than any other because it’s voted on by the guys from other schools that you play against and bang heads against,” Kalil said.

Ellis also was flattered.

“When you get an award voted on from people you play against, that definitely means something,” he said.

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Kristofer O’Dowd, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound offensive lineman from Salpointe Catholic High in Arizona, committed to USC during a news conference at his school.... Kalil was selected to the Pro Football Weekly All-American team.

gary.klein@latimes.com