Lincoln Riley lost his Heisman Trophy QB in the NFL draft this year. While it was an honor for USC to produce the first overall pick in Caleb Williams, the question lingered–Who will be the Trojans’ next QB?

After endless speculation and wild guesses, Riley has finally put the suspense to rest with his recent declaration of USC’s next signal caller. And who else but Williams’ backup QB who would get the coveted starting role? After all, his record-breaking performance can’t be overlooked and everybody knows he has the potential to make big plays. 

On August 20, rivalsdotcom reported the news of Miller Moss taking the reins as the Trojans’ QB. Uploading four posts of the former Bishop Alemany HS QB, they captioned, “Miller Moss is officially QB1 for USC, per Lincoln Riley👏” The former 4-star recruit proved his worth right from his first start in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.

Moss joined USC in 2021, but he only played two games that season before taking a redshirt. For the next two seasons, he served as QB2 to Caleb Williams, but he didn’t get a chance to start until the 2023 Holiday Bowl in December when Williams sat out. In his first start, he showed his skills and leadership by leading his team to a 42-28 victory over Louisville with 372 yards. He also made a Holiday Bowl record by securing six touchdowns, earning him the title of offensive MVP. 

Miller Moss poised for a successful future at USC 

Looking forward, Miller Moss still has two years of eligibility in his fourth year at USC. While he may not have seen much action in his four years with the Trojans, he boasts a record of 66-of-92 pass completions for 914 yards and nine TDs in 12 games and one start. Moss already has a good arm and accuracy but going forward, he needs to “improve his ability to use his eyes to move defenders and go through progressions to avoid ball-haekibg defenders,” as CBS Sports CFB analyst Blake Brockermeyer said.

But for someone who has stuck through the thick and thin for three years even when he was passed on in the depth chart by Jaxson Dart in 2021 and Caleb Williams in 2022 and 2023, there likely isn’t anything he won’t do to improve himself. He already has the full trust and confidence of coach Riley who said of him, “Miller could’ve bolted off at different times, but he’s stayed here… Miller has had a passion for this university and program for a long time. You’ve seen that in his ability to hang in there and to continue to get better.” If anything, a consistent and dedicated QB is what USC needs to win this season and Moss makes the perfect choice. He’ll get a chance to prove his hype once the season kicks off with an opener against LSU in Las Vegas.