Southern Cal names Miller Moss as permanent backup starting QB

After spending three seasons as a backup, Miller Moss’ patience has officially paid off. In a move that was widely anticipated, USC head coach Lincoln Riley named Moss the Trojans’ starting quarterback on Monday ahead of the 2024 season.

Moss, a junior, will step into the shoes of Caleb Williams, who spent two seasons at USC, won a Heisman Trophy and threw for more than 8,000 yards and 72 touchdowns. Moss, for his part, has thrown just 59 pass attempts for 681 yards and seven touchdowns during his time at USC.

It took Moss all of spring training and most of fall camp to officially secure the position, but in many ways Moss may have won the job back in December. When Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl while awaiting his NFL draft decision, Moss stepped into the starting role and made the most of his opportunity.

Moss had a plan to showcase his talent and threw 33 passes, completing 23 for 372 yards, and scored a Holiday Bowl record six touchdowns, leading USC to a 42-28 victory over Louisville.

“He may have scared off anyone who wanted to come here,” Riley said at the time. “Miller could have walked away at a number of times, but he stayed here. He got better.”

It was the kind of performance Riley needed. Instead of looking for two quarterbacks — one young and one veteran — as Riley said he would, USC signed only Jayden Maiava from UNLV, giving Moss a clear shot at being the starting quarterback.

After USC’s spring game, Riley said Moss had performed fantastically and was the favorite in the quarterback competition against Maiava.

“He’s definitely ahead, there’s no question about it,” Riley said. “We’re in a position now where we don’t have to name a starter. … If we were playing today, it would definitely be Miller.”

Over the course of the offseason and fall camp, Moss had taken on an even greater leadership role with the team, pointing to his likely spot as a starter. He also served as the Trojans’ player representative at Big Ten media days in Indianapolis.

But Riley and other members of the USC staff had been reluctant to make him an official starter, despite their praise for how far Moss had come.

“He’s got a really good knowledge of the system and he’s done a great job of sharing it with his teammates,” quarterbacks coach Luke Huard said a few weeks ago. “Miller’s done a great job of developing himself, he can make all the throws.”

Moss will get his first test as starting quarterback in a regular-season game when USC takes on LSU on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas to open the season.