USC Football: Lincoln Riley Noncommittal About Naming Starting QB

Will Moss or Maiava win the starting job?
USC Football: Lincoln Riley Noncommittal About Naming Starting QB
USC Football: Lincoln Riley Noncommittal About Naming Starting QB /
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USC football head coach Lincoln Riley is still not ready to name who will be the Trojans starting quarterback in 2024.

With Caleb Williams departing for the 2024 NFL Draft, USC has big shoes to fill in the quarterback competition. The Trojans are set to have a competition this Spring, with Miller Moss dueling Jaedyn Maiava for the starting job.

Riley teased the quarterback battle ahead of Spring Practice, which begins on March 19.

“We’re gonna let the guys in the room compete. That’s a hallmark of all the great quarterbacks that we’ve had. I think it’s been a hallmark of this program forever and ever. I think to to be a starter for USC football, you’ve gotta go compete. You’ve got to go earn it. We want that to be part of every single position room so why not do it at the [position] at the center of all of this.”



Lincoln Riley told J.D. Pickell, via On3 on Youtube.

The good news for the Trojans is they have two strong options in Moss and Maiava. Moss has seen limited playing time for the Trojans while primarily backing up Williams over the last two seasons. 

However, Moss showed out when he finally got his chance to start in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville. In the 42-28 win, Moss completed 69.7% of his passes for 372 yards, six touchdowns and one pick, winning the offensive MVP.

However, USC decided to bring in competition for Moss in former UNLV quarterback Jayden Maiava. Maiava got to start the majority of the 2023 season for UNLV. Maiava went 7-4 while completing 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and ten interceptions. He finished the year as the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year and earned himself the opportunity to transfer to USC.

Either way, the Trojans appear to have two solid options at quarterback. May the best passer win.


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Eva Geitheim
EVA GEITHEIM

Eva graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in Communication. She has been covering college and professional sports since 2022.