USC quarterback Miller Moss will enter the transfer portal after losing his starting job midseason, he announced on X (formerly Twitter). Moss started 10 games for the Trojans and will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Moss was a holdover from Clay Helton's staff when Lincoln Riley took over the program in 2022. He sat for two years behind Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams before throwing six touchdowns in a 42-28 win over Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.
The Los Angeles native won the starting quarterback job over Jayden Maiava in spring camp and initially played well, headlined by a 378-yard performance in a 27-20 win over No. 13 LSU in Week 1. Though he finished with 2,555 yards passing and 18 touchdowns in nine games, USC went only 4-5 over the stretch, with the losses coming by a combined 19 points.
Moss was ultimately benched for Maiava, who led the program to wins over UCLA and Nebraska to reach bowl eligibility. Moss finished his USC career with 3,469 yards and 27 touchdowns after appearing in 21 games with the program. The senior should be one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal.
Transfer portal status
The transfer portal will not formally open until Dec. 9, but Moss is the top passer on the board among the committed entrants as of Monday. Moss is rated a four-star transfer, the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal, per 247Sports, taking the mantle from former UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka.
"Shows the ability to excel in the right environment while possessing the ability to be a high level distributor and game manager when playing in a balanced attack," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna wrote. "High floor passer that has the ability to win you games but can also cost you them as well. Projects as a Power Four impact starter at a top-40 program in 2025."
There's no shortage of quarterback-hungry programs heading into the offseason that could use Moss's services. The former top-100 recruit was recruited by Chip Kelly, Steve Sarkisian and Joe Brady coming out of high school. Among the programs that could go portaling for a quarterback include Utah, Florida State, Oklahoma and Ohio State.
Where USC goes from here
USC went into the 2024 season with Moss and Maiava as the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. Maiava is set to to return to the program in 2025 with two years of eligibility remaining. The Trojans are also adding five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet out of Corona, California. However, the Trojans could look to the transfer portal for competition and depth. Over his last two games, Maiava completed only 54.8% of his passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions.