EXCLUSIVE: Five-Star QB Husan Longstreet Talks Recruitment, Flip to USC Trojans

Corona Centennial (CA) five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to the USC Trojans on Sunday. The elite recruit discussed the timeline of his decision, as well as his relationship with USC coach Lincoln Riley and quarterbacks coach Luke Huard.

Centennial Huskies Quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) prepares to pass the ball at Liberty High School on Sept. 21, 2024, in Peoria. / Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Corona Centennial (CA) five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet moved from Texas to Inglewood, California, less than 10 miles away from the USC Trojans campus, when he was 10 years old. At a young age, he envisioned himself becoming the next great signal-caller for the Trojans. The ability to play for his hometown program in front of his family and friends has always been intriguing to Longstreet.

However, USC already had a quarterback committed for the 2025 recruiting cycle, five-star Julian Lewis, who had been apart of USC's class since August of 2023. Longstreet committed to Texas A&M in April, but he never lost interest in USC and them in him. Longstreet's relationship with USC quarterback coach Luke Huard, which began when he was in ninth grade, has continued to blossom. Huard remained invested in Longstreet's development, even after he was committed to Texas A&M.

"Coach Huard he always there for me," Longstreet told Kendell Hollowell. "If I needed something I just asked him about it, anything he was always there. For me to keep that line open, I feel like it was the right thing to do. He would come up here and we watched film."

Centennial Huskies Quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) prepares to pass the ball at Liberty High School on Sept. 21, 2024, in Peoria. / Diannie Chavez/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Lewis began showing interest in other schools over the last couple of months, the Trojans began to shift all of their focus to Longstreet. The two were in constant communication. Longstreet visited USC's campus three weeks ago, and things began to ramp up very quickly. 

Huard attended Longstreet’s playoff game on Friday and watched him lead Centennial to a win over the No. 9 ranked team in the country at the time, Mission Viejo, in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs. Huard then called Longstreet on Saturday morning to come watch USC play the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

"For a coach to do that late before the game, that shows how intent they are just to come and recruit me," Longstreet said

Following the win, Longstreet informed the Trojans coaching staff in the locker room that he would be flipping his commitment from Texas A&M to USC. The news broke on Sunday morning almost simultaneously that Lewis would be decomitting from USC and Longstreet would be committing.

"I got in contact with a few of the receivers fast, including the running back," Longstreet said. "Actually as soon as I committed, Corey Simms, text me, said 'You ready to go? I said, yeah. We gonna go do something special.' We're taking off. I feel like this class is gonna be really big. I feel like we just have to stay focused, stay intense, finish the season strong and just get ready to go."

Relationship with Coach Lincoln Riley

USC coach Lincoln Riley's resume when it comes to developing quarterbacks speaks for itself. Three Heisman trophy winners, three No. 1 overall picks over the last seven years and at one point this season, Riley had five of his former quarterbacks starting in the NFL. Longstreet sees a lot of his game in Riley's most recent Heisman winner and No. 1 pick Caleb Williams.

"I like the way he can extend plays and make plays," Longstreet says. "I think offense that coach Riley has in place, it's hard to not be successful. I feel like the offense is a great fit. I think it rises up with everything, my talent, my play style, everything."

Longstreet and Riley have clicked from the jump, in particular when the two met in August and Longstreet was able to picture himself in the Trojans offense.

"I got to watch tape with him around August first," Longstreet said." It's just like we're seeing all the same thing he's thinking. So that part was kind of big and just a mentality standpoint because now we're on the same page. Like even though we haven't went over plays, we're on the same page. So in that way, we're kind of clicking. And just mentality wise, how much he works and how much I work, I feel like it'd be a great combination."

Local Quarterback Tradition 

The Trojans have a rich tradition of quarterbacks from Southern California having great success in the program that stretches across decades. From Paul McDonald winning the national championship in 1978 to Todd Marinovich and Rob Johnson in 90s. 

Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer each won Heisman trophies in the early 2000s, Leinart also won back-to-back national championships in 2003 and 2004. Mark Sanchez won the 2009 Rose Bowl and then went No. 5 overall in the draft to the New York Jets. Matt Leinart became the program's all-time leading passer a four-year starter from 2009-2012. Darnold followed the similar path as Sanchez, winning the 2017 Rose Bowl and then going No. 3 overall to the Jets.

Jan 2, 2017; Pasadena, CA, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a touchdown pass against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

But it's not just the individual success of those quarterbacks that Longstreet wants to reach, but the team success.

"I feel like there's a standard in place," Longstreet said. "I guess the '25 class will have to come in and try to set that, bring those back to that standard."

NIL has played a major factor in recruiting since it began in July 2021. Lucrative deals have played a major influence on a recruit's decision, but Longstreet's focus is what happens on the field on Saturdays.

"I haven't looked too much," Longstreet said. "I leave that up to my team. My main focus is just that field. Do whatever I got to do on that field and just bring my team involved and that's it".

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