QB Miller Moss thanks USC and announces transfer plans

This was expected from the moment he lost his starting job last month, and quarterback Miller Moss made it official on Monday when he announced his transfer plans.

The NCAA transfer portal opens next Monday, but graduate transfers like Moss can enter at any time. So far, Moss is the first USC player since the end of the season to announce his intention to leave the program.

Moss passed for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in nine games before USC coach Lincoln Riley announced a quarterback change in the Trojans’ second bye week, installing Jayden Maiava as the starter for the final three games.

Since Moss still had one season of eligibility remaining, it was all but certain that he would leave the program at that point.

In his farewell post, he shared his thoughts on social media with USC, coaches, teammates and fans.

“Being a USC Trojan has been a lifelong dream of mine. Winning the Cardinal and the gold medal and competing on behalf of my teammates and my school is something I will forever be proud of. “I put everything I have into it – body, heart, mind and soul – and I am humbled and proud of what my teammates and I have accomplished and fought with body and soul,” Moss wrote.

“…I couldn’t be more grateful for the support of my coaches. The guidance I received will last me well beyond my football playing days. To Gavin Morris, Bennie Wylie, Lincoln Riley and Kliff Kingsbury, your mentorship is and remains invaluable.

“To my teammates and closest friends: It is the people who make the place, and you are the ones who truly made my experience special. I have always felt that the goals and achievements are less meaningful without relationships to share them with and the last few years at USC are a testament to this belief.

“Looking forward, I am committed to becoming an even better quarterback and leader and achieving that at the next level. To achieve these goals, I am entering the transfer portal as a graduate student.”

Moss was honored by USC’s seniors before Saturday’s game against Notre Dame, where he hugged Riley on the way to the field.

He later walked around an empty coliseum after leaving the locker room and took it in one last time.

Moss’ story was unique in college football today, as the former four-star prospect waited three years for his turn, decided not to transfer while being the third-string quarterback in his first year, and then sat behind Caleb Williams the next two seasons.

Last year, he got his chance to play in the Holiday Bowl and made the most of it, rushing for 372 yards, 6 touchdowns and an interception against a ranked Louisville team – a performance that caused the coaching staff to abandon all plans He wanted to pursue taking back an established veteran QB in the transfer portal.

Because the Trojans still needed depth, they instead brought in redshirt sophomore Jayden Maiava, who had started one season at UNLV.

Moss was the clear choice for the Trojans to start this season and he started well, rushing for 378 yards and a touchdown in USC’s season-opening win over a ranked LSU team.

He got through the start of the season playing behind a struggling USC offense that got better as the fall progressed, but Moss took a lot of hits along the way. As the interceptions piled up, he eventually became his undoing – he threw three picks in his last start, a 26-21 loss at Washington on November 2nd.

His replacement, Maiava, had his own turnover issues, throwing three pick-6s in his three starts — including two at the end of USC’s 49-35 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Maiava finished the season with 906 passing yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs and 4 rushing TDs.

Moss is likely to be in high demand for QB-needy teams. While his decision-making faltered at times late in the season and he earned criticism for some of his costly picks, Moss’ passing season could have been different if he had had better pass protection earlier and his receivers had been more reliable throughout a fitting end to his USC story.

As for the Trojans, they will likely only bring back Maiava, as veteran third-string QB Jake Jensen was honored on Senior Day before Saturday’s game despite still having one more season of eligibility. With Rivals100 four-star QB Husan Longstreet set to sign with the program on Wednesday, only two scholarship QBs remain on the roster.

Riley and Co. will need to find more help through the transfer portal, even if the JUCO transfer is as deep as Jensen was a few years ago, but they could also look to bring in a higher-profile transfer with whom they can compete for the job Maiava (and Long Street).