It’s college football, folks! Nothing is permanent. And who knows it best now? The USC Trojans HC Lincoln Riley. Having coached for 7 seasons in college football, the Trojans HC is known by another special name. The quarterback whisperer. After all, out of all the head coaches, Riley is believed to be the man who can coach up quarterbacks like no one else.

But gone are those days. Right now, Riley has lost this prestigious tag. All thanks to his former QB, Miller Moss, who committed to Jeff Brohm’s Louisville Cardinals. 

Miller Moss’s rocky road with Riley

Remember the time when Riley was all head over heels for his QB Moss? In an interview with Keyshawn Johnson, the Trojans HC stated, “There’s no question [Moss] is really smart. He’s one of the smartest ones, and maybe the smartest [quarterback] that I’ve had, which is saying something.” Maybe, that’s why they say actions matter more than words. If Riley was so satisfied with Moss, he could have been extra careful about the QB. Looks like, the QB did not feel enough reasons to grow in his position with the Trojans.

Moss clarified, “Looking towards the future, I’m unwaveringly committed to becoming an even better quarterback and leader, and to achieving this at the next level.” That’s what analyst Josh Pate too is super sure of. On the College Football Show, he stated, “I think he was in a really bad position, ironically, at the quarterback position, playing for Lincoln Riley this year.”

However, this should not have been the case, as Pate rightly tagged the situation as an “antithesis.” That’s because in the past, quarterbacks used to flock around Riley to climb the ladder in the QB position. The quarterback guru, with his time in Oklahoma and USC combined, has made great Heisman-winning signal-callers like Baker Mayfield and Caleb Williams, among others. But his Moss experiment turned out to be a big flop. The HC chose him as the starting QB, after which Moss struggled with efficiency and turnovers. In his final five starts, he completed 63.5 percent of his throws for 1,357 yards and got benched for the final three games. 

So it was obvious that he had been looking for an exit gate. And what better option than the Louisville Cardinals? Pate seems to be impressed with Moss’ choice. He stated, “Jeff Brohm and that staff will get it out of him so this was this was a sneaky situation.” The QB’s commitment has already shaken up college football.     

It’s not just Lincoln Riley who’s feeling the pain of this loss

If there is anyone who is as sad as Riley on the Moss flip, it’s none other than Michigan Wolverines HC Sherrone Moore. However, that should not be the case. After all, the Wolverines successfully lured away the No.1 quarterback recruit Bryce Underwood from Brian Kelly’s LSU Tigers. But so what?

Their QB struggle is still a major problem. None of the Michigan QBs were able to live up to the standards that their former QB JJ McCarthy had left in Ann Arbor before making his way to the NFL. The issue has been so deep that Underwood seemed like the only viable option for Moore. That’s when On3 analyst Pete Nakos pointed out something interesting. He said, “Sources have continued to tell me that there is a possibility that wherever Miller Moss lands, a USC package could follow him.” And why is it so?

That’s because Miller Moss committing to Sherrone Moore’s program would have had its own perks. For instance, he could have held the reins for the time being. That would have given Bryce Underwood enough time to sharpen his skills. Next, Moss would have acted as a magnet and attracted valuable additions, like a couple of wide receivers. It’s time for Sherrone Moore and Lincoln Riley to hug each other and cry!