Sam Darnold is widely considered the most prestigious quarterback prospect coming into next year’s NFL Draft, and as such is the New York Jets’ primary subject of interest.

Darnold led Southern California to a shootout Rose Bowl victory over Penn State in January, capping off a stellar showing in which the resurgent Trojans finished 10-3, but the signal caller is not without his flaws.

The most notable of which is his throwing motion, which has inspired more than a few critical analyses from the game’s onlookers and experts, and which Darnold is looking to repair with the help of California-based quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer.

“His circle is, when your hands come apart, the ball comes down a little bit, and then it starts to come back up and then it goes all the way up behind your head, and it goes forward when you throw,” Palmer told the Orange County Register.

“Right now, Sam’s circle is bigger than it needs to be.”

The extra time it takes Darnold, or any passer, to bring his arm back around and propel the ball forward may be slight in real terms, perhaps less than a half-second, but inside the pocket when facing a pass rush, with time already a scarce commodity, it could make a dramatic difference.

Especially when he gets into the professional ranks, and edge rushers will be much faster than they are in Pac-12 competition.

That said, Darnold (6-foot-4, 225-pounds) had a superb showing last season, covering 3,086 yards through the air, scoring 31 touchdowns, throwing just nine interceptions, and completing over 67 percent of his pass attempts.

Those numbers are more interesting when recalling that Darnold wasn’t the team’s starter for the first full month of the season, after USC had started a meager 1-4, behind Darnold rattling off a nine-game winning streak.

It goes without saying that this coming season under center will undergo some of the closest and most critical analysis of any quarterback in college football, particularly in the Jets’ front office.

If Darnold trends upwards, and Christian Hackenberg and/or Bryce Petty downwards, the team will be interested. But first, the Trojans’ quarterback is making the most of this crucial offseason.

“I’m not overhauling or changing anything,” Palmer said of his work with the young signal caller. “I’m just trying to help him make something more efficient.”