Miller Moss’ unexpected journey could lead USC to the College Football Playoff

Replacing the No. 1 overall pick in your class is a daunting task, especially when that No. 1 overall pick is Caleb Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner and former USC quarterback who was just selected No. 1 overall by the Chicago Bears in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Well, that's the situation USC quarterback Miller Moss found himself in this offseason.

Moss, a four-star freshman in the 2021 class, was a quarterback in the shadow of USC throughout his career. He committed to the Trojans in 2020 under former head coach Clay Helton, but plans changed when Lincoln Riley was hired and brought Williams over from Oklahoma.

Moss was originally part of a quarterback group that included starter Kedon Slovis and four-star 2021 recruit Jackson Dart, but both playmakers transferred when Riley was hired and Moss opted to stay at USC and play behind Williams.

Things got even more complicated when Riley was able to bring in five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, the No. 1 quarterback in the class of 2023, as part of his two-year quarterback recruiting cycle. Nelson had committed to Oklahoma under Riley and remained loyal to his new college head coach.

With Williams expected to depart after the 2023 season and Nelson on the sidelines, it's unclear what the future holds for Moss, who was already a redshirt sophomore last year.

But the former four-star wasn't daunted by the challenge and earned the backup position to Williams last year. Then, when Williams opted out of a bowl game, Moss finally got his chance, throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns in USC's 42-28 win over Louisville in last year's Holiday Bowl.

USC's confused quarterback situation was resolved near the end of last season. Interestingly, five-star Malachi Nelson entered the transfer portal before the bowl game and Williams entered the draft as expected. This left an opening at quarterback, but it was initially unclear whether the Trojans would explore a transfer option to compete with Moss, who performed well in the bowl game.

There were numerous rumors linking the Trojans to several transfer quarterbacks, but USC ultimately stayed put and instead acquired redshirt sophomore Jayden Maiava from UNLV to balance out the numbers following departures.

Earlier in the offseason, Moss and Maiava were competing for the starting job, but it was clear that Moss was going to be USC's main player this season. The redshirt junior had been waiting in the shadows for so long that he finally got his chance.

Expectations were high for Moss this season as he was tasked with following in Williams' footsteps and leading a USC team that went 11-3 in 2022 but struggled heavily defensively in 2023 and finished with a suboptimal 7-5 regular season record.

So how has the Trojans' quarterback performed so far this year?

Well, USC is surging in the AP Top 25 and started the year strong with a 27-20 upset win over the LSU Tigers. Moss lived up to expectations, throwing for 378 yards and one score while completing 75 percent of his passes in the road win.

The Trojans then thrashed Utah State 48-0 in Week 2, and Moss didn't have to do much, again completing at least 70 percent of his passes and throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown in the victory.

USC faced its toughest game yet in Week 4 against a strong Michigan defense, but Moss' performance was mixed. Under constant pressure behind a makeshift offensive line, the quarterback completed just 28 of 51 passes for 283 yards, three scores and one interception.

Moss again threw timely passes that nearly led his team to victory, but the Trojans fell short, losing 24-27.

But after three games, Moss and the Trojans look like the real deal entering the Big Ten, with their next opponent this weekend being the Wisconsin Badgers.

Moss has led the way for USC's offense and has developed quick chemistry with his pass-catching guys, but the Trojan defense has also held up, which was a major concern for 2023.

That helped USC rank in the top 15 through the first four weeks, despite a loss to Michigan, and keep it firmly in the running for the expanded College Football Playoff early in the season.

At 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds, Moss isn't the biggest quarterback, nor is he the most athletic.

But it's clear he has the confidence necessary at the quarterback position, and with his teammates surrounding him, USC should be off to a strong start in 2024. His play will be closely monitored as the season progresses, as the Trojans face tough opponents like Penn State and Notre Dame, and while it has come in unexpected ways, it's mostly been a positive for the new face of the USC program.