Junior linebackers Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing both said they were "100 percent" certain they will skip the NFL draft this spring and return for their senior seasons.

Scout Inc. rates Maualuga the No. 19 overall draft prospect in the nation. Cushing generally is considered among the top few underclassmen at his position.

Both players have until a few weeks after USC's bowl game to make their final decisions, but both said the wait won't be necessary.

"I'm 100 percent positive I'll be back," Maualuga said. "I've got nowhere to go. I'm not in a rush.

I'm just about to turn 21 in January and I'm just going to live and have my fun in college."

Maualuga is USC's second-leading tackler behind Keith Rivers, a senior who is widely projected to be a top-10 selection in April. Cushing missed three-plus games with a sprained ankle and acknowledged the injury had some impact on his decision, which he also called "100 percent."

"My eventual goal is to play in the NFL, but the thing about the NFL is it's always going to be there," Cushing said. "If anything, I'm just going to be a year better next year."

Coach Pete Carroll said neither had informed him of his decision, but that they likely are making the right move.

"They'll get paid back immeasurably," Carroll said. "Those guys are first-round draft picks some time. They might be this year. Next year, they certainly would be."

Maualuga and Cushing played sparingly as freshmen in 2005, the last time USC played for a national title. The quest to win one also entered their decisions.