Courtesy University of Richmond

Richmond redshirt junior quarterback Aaron Corp started for Southern Cal against Washington last season when Matt Barkley was injured.

Aaron Corp began preseason practice last year as the No. 1 quarterback at storied Southern California.

Then he got hurt, opening the door for Matt Barkley to take his job.

Now Corp is at a new school. On a new coast. In a new division.

He has started over at Division I-AA Richmond, which will open the season at Virginia on Saturday.

The fourth-year junior has given up the glamour of the Trojans, but he is once again the No. 1 signal-caller for his team.

"I'm completely excited," Corp said in a phone interview. "It's been since my senior year [of high school] since I've played a whole season. I'm happy right now."

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Corp was also happy in 2009 when he won USC's starting job after spring practice. Then-Trojans coach Pete Carroll, needing a successor to Mark Sanchez, gave Corp the nod over Barkley -- who had graduated high school early so he could take part in spring ball -- and Mitch Mustain.

But Corp injured his knee in preseason practice, forcing him to miss two weeks. Barkley shined in his absence. Corp returned to the field in late August, but Carroll crowned Barkley the starter for the opener.

Does Corp ever wonder what might have happened if he hadn't gotten hurt?

"I haven't really let that creep into my mind because if you look in the past like that, then you're not focused on the present," said Corp, who was an All-American quarterback at Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School. "That's when you can start to slip up and not perform the way you're capable of.

"I know that I'm a capable quarterback. It's just where I'm playing, and right now it happens to be at UR. I really haven't thought about those circumstances at SC or why I didn't start last year or anything. It happened. I kind of accepted it and then moved on."

Barkley threw for 2,735 yards last fall. Corp did get to start against Washington because Barkley was hurt, but he completed just 13 of 22 passes for 110 yards with one interception in a 16-13 loss.

After the season, Corp decided to transfer so he could have another crack at a starting job. By dropping down to I-AA, he does not have to sit out this season.

Corp knew of the University of Richmond because of a family friend. The Spiders needed a replacement for Eric Ward, who led them to the I-AA quarterfinals as a senior last year after helping them win the I-AA crown in 2008.

After visiting UR, Corp transferred in January.

"All he wanted was a shot to play," said Richmond offensive coordinator Wayne Lineburg, a Radford native. "He fell into our lap.

"I think it helped him, to get a change of scenery."

Corp did like the scenery.

"The campus is what really sold me," he said. "It was a lot different from USC, but a beautiful campus.

"I like it out here. It's a lot prettier, especially this time of year -- clean air, not as much smog.

"Instead of going to the beach, I go down to the James River. Different stuff, but it's still fun."

The Spiders have a much lower profile than Corp's old team, however.

"The only difference for me is the number of scholarships [in I-AA]," Corp said.

"I looked at [the move] through kind of a football sense and not necessarily a media sense or a fan-base sense. I was pleasantly surprised when I got here to see the level of talent at a school like Richmond."

Corp has fit in well with his new team, Lineburg said.

"You would never really know that he'd come from USC," Lineburg said. "He's a really good, humble kid.

"You would think a kid would come in here and may have a little bit of arrogance to him and think he's better than the place he's coming to, but he hasn't been like that at all."

Corp competed with redshirt sophomore John Laub for Richmond's starting job in spring practice and in preseason practice. Corp was named the starter last week.

"I'm good with reading defenses and I love spending time watching film, so I'll make good decisions," Corp said. "And I'm good with my feet and can buy a little extra time to see things down the field."

As a former USC quarterback, Corp will be expected to make a big impact with his new team. He was recently profiled in The New York Times -- hardly typical for a I-AA player.

"I try to block all that stuff out," he said of the expectations. "I don't feel any pressure to perform at a really high level. I need to do my job and help the team win."

He isn't likely to be overwhelmed when the Spiders step up in weight class to face the I-A Cavaliers. In fact, he has already been part of a win over UVa, having played one series in USC's 2008 rout of the Cavaliers.

"I'm at Richmond, so now I'm a I-AA quarterback. But I'm not intimidated or anything," Corp said.

When Corp was named the Spiders' starter, he got a congratulatory text message from Barkley.

Corp figures Barkley will be in touch again next week -- for a scouting report. UVa visits USC next week.