Miller Moss reacts to Malachi Nelson choosing to enter transfer portal

The quarterback room at USC has thinned out in recent weeks. Caleb Williams opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL, and five-star freshman Malachi Nelson entered the transfer portal. That leaves Miller Moss as the only QB on the roster who has thrown a pass in a game this season.

Moss is slated to start for the Trojans in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville on Dec. 27. He was asked for his reaction to Malachi Nelson entering the transfer portal.

“I mean obviously everyone has to do what’s best for themselves,” Miller Moss said. “We’re happy with the group we have here and whoever wants to be here is here and we’re excited to come together in that way.”

Moss was a four-star recruit and the No. 79 overall player in the country in the class of 2021, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

The redshirt sophomore has appeared in four games this season and is 23 of 32 passing for 309 yards and a touchdown.

Moss is looking forward to his opportunity to start and feels good about the roster USC has, even with Malachi Nelson and others no longer on the roster.

“I mean, it’s kind of a crazy environment these days,” Moss said. “Everyone has to do what they think is best for themselves, but we’re happy with what we have here.”

Lincoln Riley on Malachi Nelson transfer: ‘It’s part of it now’

In addition to Miller Moss USC head coach Lincoln Riley also recently spoke about Malachi Nelson entering the transfer portal.

opened his media availability on Monday by addressing Nelson’s decision to move on from the Trojans. He said it’s a hard pill to swallow to put so much into someone and then never really see them realize their potential with you. However, with the portal as popular as it is, he gets that it’s the reality of ow things are now.

“Yeah, that part is difficult. The old school in all of us has all the great memories of the guys that we coach that, maybe, weren’t ready in the beginning and they progressed, got better, and you got to see the end of that,” said Riley. “So, yeah, it’s part of it now, you know what I mean? It’s just part of the world of college football at this current time.”

Coming out of high school, Nelson was the No. 11 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He finished as the No. 5 QB and the No. 2 player out of California. Amidst national interest, USC was able to earn his commitment as an in-state product. He signed with the Trojans right around a year ago and then arrived on campus for spring practice.