Lincoln Riley says Miller Moss 'scared off' any potential quarterback transfers with Holiday Bowl showing

USC has been right in the thick of things for several quarterbacks in the transfer portal this month. After the breakout performance from Miller Moss in the Holiday Bowl, though, Lincoln Riley isn’t sure that the Trojans don’t already have their guy.

Riley spoke about Moss’ incredible outing in the postgame press conference after the 42-28 win over Louisville in San Diego. With it taking several questions before someone inquired about Moss’ shot as next season’s starter, Riley couldn’t help but crack a joke.

“I can’t believe we got to the fourth question,” Riley laughed with the media.

However, as Riley began, he thinks that Moss may have actually frightened any competition away from Los Angeles after he exploded against the Cardinals.

“He did a great job,” said Riley. “Shoot, he may have scared off anybody that wanted to come here anyway.”

To Riley, Moss is the kind of player that programs need in college football. He is a quarterback that’s committed to his team, regardless of other opportunities elsewhere, and that dedication is what led to his night in the spotlight inside Petco Park.

“He was awesome. It’s a performance game. I’ve said previously and our local guys know this. It’s really, really important to me the longer I coach and going through this – I don’t know it all. But having people in this program is incredibly important,” said Riley. “That’s the key. I think in this day and age with all the movement? When you have guys like that, it’s even more of an advantage than maybe it was five or ten years ago because it has become a little bit harder to find.”

“Miller has had a passion for this university and program for a long time. You’ve seen that in his ability to hang in there, to continue to get better,” Riley said. “Part of the reason I think he played well tonight is the consistency that he has brought. He could have bolted off at different times. He has stayed here and he has gotten better. That’s why a night like tonight happened.”

Moss made his first start collegiate start as a redshirt sophomore on Wednesday in the place of Caleb Williams. In that opportunity, he went 23-33 (69.7%) for 372 yards, six touchdowns, and only one pick. That was more than enough for Moss to take home an MVP honor from the 14-point victory.

For context, Williams’ career-high for touchdowns in a game was also six, which he did twice. Moss’ six passing scores were also a bowl record at USC as well as a record in the history of the Holiday Bowl.

Riley and USC may very well continue their search in the portal for a quarterback in 2024. However, whether they strike out or withdraw altogether, the Trojans can feel a lot better than they did with Moss’ debut going as exceptionally as it did.

“He’s obviously a tremendous leader for our program, was a great leader for us tonight,” said Riley. “I’m really excited to see what the future holds for him because I think he’s going to get better and better.”