USC names Miller Moss starting quarterback

Lincoln Riley has made his decision. Miller Moss will be USC’s starting quarterback, beating out Jayden Maiava for the role. The team announced the decision on Monday night.

Moss spent two years as Caleb Williams’ primary backup quarterback after taking a redshirt in 2021. He didn’t play much as Williams went on to win a Heisman Trophy and become the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, but he got a starting opportunity in the Holiday Bowl last year – and he made the most of the opportunity.

Moss put together a huge performance in that game against Louisville. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 372 yards and six touchdowns as the Trojans got a resounding 42-28 victory, and it led some to wonder if he played his way into the QB1 role for 2024.

USC missed out on some big names in the transfer portal, but Riley still opted to bring in a transfer by landing Maiava. The former UNLV standout the No. 26-ranked quarterback to hit the open market, according to the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings.

Maiava is fresh off a big freshman year under Barry Odom in Las Vegas. He threw for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a true freshman, showcasing some high upside. After Maiava arrived in Los Angeles, though, he found himself in a quarterback competition with Moss.

Moss put together a strong spring, but Riley said he wouldn’t make a decision until camp. Earlier in training camp, Riley left the door open about who could have the upper hand.

“Miller had the best spring like I told you guys at the end of the spring,” Riley said. “There’s no question if we were playing at that point that he would have been the starter. In my history man, a lot changes you know, I mean, you got some other guys in the room. You know, Jayden and Jake, they’ve got reps, they have gotten better fast. 

“We’re excited to see those guys, excited to see what Jayden can do after now having an offseason where he understands the offense and can grow. So my expectation is he’s going to be quite a bit better than what he was. And then certainly the expectation is that Miller and Jake [Jensen] and the guys that have been here are going to continue to grow too.”

USC’s season opener is set for Sept. 1 on the big stage. The Trojans will take on LSU at Allegiant Stadium in the Vegas Kickoff Classic.