He’s still pro-USC

Dwayne Jarrett’s improbable 61-yard gain on a fourth-and-nine pass in last year’s game between USC and Notre Dame was the stuff of legend, a moment to remember whenever one of the sport’s greatest rivalries is discussed.

Not that Jarrett and former Trojans quarterback Matt Leinart talk about it much.

“It’s not like I call him and say, ‘Hey man, that fourth and nine? Whew!’ ” Jarrett said, laughing. “It’s not the main topic.”

Here’s a topic that probably has come up: the NFL.

After Jarrett was selected as an All-American in 2005, it was widely assumed that the 6-foot-5 New Jersey native would follow the path of running backs Reggie Bush and LenDale White and bolt for the pros after his third season.

But a lingering quadriceps injury slowed the junior during training camp. Then, offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin called him out publicly after a poor performance in the opener against Arkansas and Jarrett suffered a separated shoulder two games later against Arizona.

Of late, the Pacific 10 Conference’s career leader in touchdown catches (with 36) appears to have regained his form. His fourth-quarter score against California last week helped keep the Trojans on track for a possible third consecutive appearance in the Bowl Championship Series title game.

But Jarrett’s draft status could well be determined in the third-ranked Trojans’ final three games, starting tonight against sixth-ranked Notre Dame.

“A lot of people are always talking about, ‘It’s not the way you start but the way you finish,’ ” said Jarrett, who has caught 48 passes this season, seven for touchdowns. “I think right now I’m finishing strong.”

Coach Pete Carroll agrees.

“It’s been a hard year for him to get really on track, but he’s absolutely on track now,” Carroll said. “He’s making the plays and dominating the game like he’s capable of doing.”

Jarrett has maintained since the end of last season that he would wait until January 2007 before deciding whether to turn pro or return for a final year at USC.

He was already regarded as a top pro prospect when he made the biggest catch of his career last season at Notre Dame Stadium.

Jarrett, battling double vision after an earlier play, was split wide to the left with USC trailing by three points and 1:32 left in the game. Leinart went under center, then stepped back and changed the play call.

Jarrett ran a fade route along the sideline in front of USC’s bench and grabbed a pass that just slipped past the hand of Notre Dame defensive back Ambrose Wooden.

“I don’t remember, like, actually seeing the ball,” Jarrett said. “I saw the ball coming, but I wasn’t sure which ball it was.

“I just tried to put my hand out there where I thought the ball was going to be, and I guessed right.”

Jarrett’s long gain set up Leinart’s game-winning sneak that was accomplished with what will forever be known as the “Bush Push.”

Jarrett had other spectacular moments, including a clutch fourth-quarter touchdown catch in the national championship game against Texas. Feelers from agent representatives began almost immediately after Vince Young led the Longhorns to a dramatic comeback victory.

Jarrett has deflected the onslaught with help from his cousin Chris Ruffin, who has looked after Jarrett since he arrived in Southern California as a 17-year-old homesick freshman in 2004.

“It hasn’t been that difficult, because I’m the type of guy where no is no,” said Jarrett, who turned 20 in September. “Once I say no, that’s the bottom line. You can’t say anything or do anything to change my mind.

“That’s where I’m at right now with it. At the end of the season, when it’s all said and done, then I can think about it and go from there.”

Last season, between the Trojans’ final regular-season game and the Rose Bowl, Carroll held a seminar for players to educate them about the draft. The information helped persuade receiver Steve Smith to return for a final season in which he has flourished.

Jarrett, however, probably would be chosen before Smith in the NFL draft.

Though scouts spend most of their time evaluating seniors, including Notre Dame’s Jeff Samardzija, they are very much aware of Jarrett, Georgia Tech’s Calvin Johnson, South Carolina’s Sidney Rice and Ohio State’s Ted Ginn Jr., all draft-eligible receivers.

“I still think he’s probably in the first [round]. He’s still going to be up there,” said an NFC scout who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “He’s got better foot quickness than [former USC All-American] Mike Williams and plays faster.”

Williams, who helped persuade Jarrett to attend USC, suggests that Jarrett seek Carroll’s counsel before making a decision.

Williams tried to leave USC after his second season, a move he has said he regrets. He was ultimately forced to sit out the 2004 season and was drafted by the Detroit Lions with the 10th pick in the 2005 draft. He signed a contract that included $10.5 million in guaranteed money.

“If he stays he has a lot to gain,” Williams said in an e-mail. “He’s been injured this year and it’s been a down year for him. ... He could come back to school and really develop the route-running skills and the ball-catching skills that will separate him from the rest.

“If he is leaning toward going pro, good for him. He needs to understand that the advice to leave is probably coming from people who want his business.

“What Dwayne needs to do is go to the people who can really help him and that’s Coach Carroll and his connections in this league. Get an NFL evaluation and make his decision from that.”

Jarrett’s mother, Camille, will leave it up to her son.

“I’m not pressuring him either way,” she said while watching practice this week. “But I really would like to see him finish and graduate. We’ll talk about it when the season is over. We’ll see what he feels, because he’s the one who has to live with his decision.”

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Times staff writer Sam Farmer contributed to this report.

gary.klein@latimes.com