Breaking down the case for Miller Moss as Heisman Trophy contender

Miller Moss isn’t the favorite to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy but he’s certainly in the race. On Monday, On3’s Andy Staples and Jesse Simonton weighed in on the USC quarterback’s chances to take home the prestigious award.

“I did not have Miller Moss on my top 10 overall list but, on the Big Ten list, I had him listed as the wildcard candidate,” Simonton said. “It’s probably pretty smart to put a Lincoln Riley quarterback on any of these preseason lists—even if you’re skeptical maybe of Miller’s Moss’ upside—because of Riley’s history with the quarterback position and getting these guys to either win the award or become a Heisman finalist in New York City.”

It never hurts to bet on Riley’s quarterbacks. The USC head coach has mentored three Heisman QBs: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Caleb Williams. It’s even easier to have faith in Riley’s quarterback when they’re as talented as Moss.

In his three-year career at USC, Moss has seen limited action, normally playing second fiddle to Williams. However, when Moss has received opportunities to shine, he hasn’t allowed them to go to waste.

Most notably, Moss erupted in USC’s 42-28 win over Louisville in the Holiday Bowl this past season. After Williams opted to not play in the game, Moss received the starting nod. In the victory, Moss tallied 372 passing yards and a bowl-record six touchdowns while only throwing one interception.

Does Miller Moss have internal competition?

Despite Moss’ standout performance, Simonton still isn’t convinced the redshirt junior is poised for a breakout season.

“Miller Moss had a monster bowl game, throws [six] touchdowns, but then he struggles mightily this spring,” Simonton said. “Has a terrible spring game and they bring in Jayden Maiava to potentially compete for the job.

“I think it’s more likely that he loses his job to the UNLV transfer then actually wins the Heisman, but he at least merits mention because of Lincoln Riley’s history with the position.”

Moss was underwhelming in USC’s spring game, throwing two interceptions in only four drives. Despite Moss’ subpar performance, Riley stood by his QB.

“He’s certainly ahead right now, there’s no question about that,” Riley said. “We’re in a position right now where we don’t have to name a starter… If we played today, it would certainly be Miller.”

Moss also took the poor showing in stride, keeping an optimistic attitude for what’s ahead.

“It’s not that you have success once and then it’s all easy after that,” Moss said. “There’s ebbs and flows of this thing, so there’s going to be more adversity coming up this year, and I feel like we’re well-equipped to handle that.”

On Sept. 1, USC will play its season-opener against LSU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.