USC Football: Lincoln Riley Still Non Commital About Naming Starting QB

Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley remains cagey about USC's starting quarterback this season.

Jul 24, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big 10 football media day at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

After a disappointing 2023 season, the USC Trojans are looking to make an impact in the Big Ten. However, there are quite a few factors sitting in the way.

First is the team's debut in the Big Ten Conference, which is known for its strong teams and overall competitiveness. USC needs to rebuild, and it will be even harder to do so in a completely new environment.

Second is the loss of star quarterback Caleb Williams. The Heisman winner in 2022, Williams was drafted No.1 overall by the Chicago Bears and is the current favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Needless to say, USC fans want to know who will replace Williams as the leader of the Trojans. While Miller Moss, his backup quarterback, seems like an obvious option — head coach Lincoln Riley recently revealed that he hasn't made a decision on the matter.

“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 [Maiava] and Jake [Jensen], they’ve got reps, they have gotten better fast."

Among the candidates, Moss seems like the best choice, especially after his exceptional performance in the 2023 Holiday Bowl. Serving as a backup for Wiliams, Moss threw for 372 yards and a record-breaking six touchdowns.

Between the other two options, Maiava is Moss' biggest competition. In his freshman year at UNLV, Maiava led the Rebels to the program's most wins since 1984 and its first appearance in the Mountain West Championship. Starting in all 114 games, he threw for 3,085 yards and 17 TDs.

While it would be nice to hear a decision be made, Riley clearly doesn't feel like he's in any rush to make one.

“So yeah, I mean, it’s not a decision that we had to make in the spring,” Riley said. “So we didn’t. I think I gave you guys a fair and honest update as to where it was but then at the same time, you know, we’re going to rep these guys, they’re all going to rep. We’re gonna rep these guys here until we feel separation right now and not trying to factor in too much of what happened before.”

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