The beaches of southern California are transpiring into quicksand for USC Trojans’ head coach, Lincoln Riley. As hard as he tries to escape, he seems to be hauled further in. Cast your minds back to when coach Riley first earned the moniker of being a “quarterback whisperer” in Norman. Deservedly, too. 4 of his quarterbacks are NFL starters today, and 3 have won the Heisman. This did translate to over to USC for a while, with Caleb Williams whom he brought along with him from OU. But finding a successor to Caleb’s throne has proven to be a challenge. A new dawn is imminent, and it brings with it a dilemma.

The first guy bestowed with the chance to continue this lineage of QBs was Miller Moss. He’s now departed the program. Jayden Maiava, initially Moss’ understudy, currently occupies this proverbial throne. The redshirt sophomore finished the 2024 season atop the depth chart after transferring over from UNLV. However, his status as QB1 is under threat already. Husan Longstreet, a 5-star signal caller in the class of ‘25, is breathing down his neck. One former Trojan has made a resounding discernment about the position going forward.

Now, conventional wisdom would suggest throwing a true freshman to the wolves right away could be detrimental. Allow him to learn the ropes as a backup initially. However, for a team that finished last season just above .500, there’s not much room for maneuver. Lincoln Riley needs to turn the tide, pronto. Under his custodianship, USC has had a very apparent downward spiral year after year. They’ve gone from 11 wins to 8 and now to 7. Riley has reached a juncture when something’s gotta give. As a result, putting the massively talented Husan Longstreet at QB is a real possibility and a conundrum that’s weighing on the under-duress coach. Longstreet’s performance in the Polynesian Bowl exhibition only added fuel to this discourse. However, alum and former defensive back John Walker believes it’ll be a mistake to demote Jayden Maiava.

Walker dissected this conundrum that Lincoln Riley faces alongside USC J in his “USCJ LOST IN THA SAUCE PODCAST.” He had some very positive things to say about Maiava’s trajectory. Even comparing him to a bonafide USC legend, but more of that in a bit. Pertaining to him and Longstreet’s head-to-head battle, Waker was crystal clear in his decree. “I believe that, as constructed right now, Hassan Longstreet could start in College Football [for] just about 95% of the programs out there, including USC. Now, do I think that’s a good idea? Unfortunately, I don’t.” he said. Walker proceeded to expand on why he thinks fans or even Lincoln Riley may be getting ahead of themselves through his escapades in the Polynesian Bowl.

John Walker prefaced how “We have recency bias. We have selective memory and selective amnesia…We also only remember. What have you done for me lately? That is an improper mindset to have overall when it comes to developing young people, young men, particularly” He’s of the mindset that giving Longstreet time to get his feet when rather than throwing him in the deep end is the requisite. Admittedly, Walker broke it down to a T. “Give a guy like Hussan Longstreet an opportunity to learn through proxy. Through being in proximity of what’s happening. To see the speed of the game from the sidelines. So he can develop his coach’s eyes, his coach’s lens, and then also broadcast and project what he would do in game scenarios. Without being under the physical trauma of duress, stress, and the pressure of taking on the mantle,” he said.

There’s a reason this is the path most coaches choose to traverse, and Lincoln Riley knows what can make or break a QB. He’ll have to fight his urges and likely live or die by the Jayden Maiava sword. Plus, it’s not like Maiava is a definitive downgrade. According to John Walker, he’s possibly trudging along a trail blazed by a former no.1 draft pick and Heisman Winner. One he saw first-hand at the program.

The probable answer to Lincoln Riley’s QB conundrum touted for being in esteemed company

Carson Palmer needs no introduction to the Trojans faithful. The iconic QB was one of the keys to earning the USC program the stature and reverence it holds today. John Walker in no way was making direct comparisons between him and Jayden Maiava. However, he did suggest there are similarities both in style of play and situation. “Carson Palmer ended up being a Heisman performing quarterback, but he did not start that way,” he said. Walker pointed to the brash stuff said about Palmer in the media. He thinks the ‘what or who’ turned the tide was Pete Carroll. Walker stated how working with the likes of Norm Chow, Lane Kiffin, and Steve Sarkisian in a solid continual system is what elevated Palmer to the next level. Now, he reckons Lincoln Riley has the tools to do so with Maiava. 

“We see he has the arm talent. We see that he has a decision making ability once he feels comfortable. Now, he has a whole off-season to prep with his skill set. Not a makeshift play package,” remarked Walker. Maiava did get dropped into an offensive designed for Miller Moss, after all. John Walker didn’t hesitate in saying, “I do believe that Jayden Maiava and Carson Palmer have a similar start to their story”

So does Lincoln Riley cave into the perceivably more naturally talented Husan Longstreet? Or does he afford Jayden Maiava the chance to thrive as a reward for keeping afloat a sinking ship? The latter is more likely, but with Riley possibly coaching for his job, a punt may be on the board. Maybe even another mid-season shuffle akin to last year.