Don’t expect Lincoln Riley to scour transfer portal for USC’s starting quarterback

A year ago, with USC’s star quarterback off to the NFL, Lincoln Riley made his plans at the position abundantly clear. He would pursue a transfer quarterback to take the reins from Caleb Williams — someone like Cam Ward or Will Howard or another marquee passer eager for the opportunity. Perhaps he’d add two — one older, one younger.

Miller Moss, the longtime backup, had different plans. In his first start, Moss threw for six scores and led the Trojans to a triumphant victory in the Holiday Bowl. So Riley, seeing no other choice, pivoted and put his faith in Moss.

That succession plan ultimately produced mixed results. While Ward and Howard led their new teams to 10-win seasons, Moss was benched by early November, replaced by Jayden Maiava, the Nevada Las Vegas transfer brought in to be his backup. Now Moss is in the transfer portal, Maiava is penciled in as starter and Riley finds himself back in a similar spot, with an uncertain future at football’s most important position.

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Riley is projecting confidence in Maiava, who led the Trojans to two wins over their final three games. “I think he’s going to continue to progress and get better and better,” Riley said Wednesday.

But with the transfer portal set to open Monday — and given how a similar scenario went last season — might Riley decide to put his trust in a transfer quarterback instead?

Riley confirmed Wednesday that USC plans to add a quarterback from the portal, given that two — Moss and third-stringer Jake Jensen — opted to transfer. But the hope, he said, was for a new passer to “provide some depth in that room.” Presumably that means behind Maiava and five-star freshman Husan Longstreet, the crown jewel of USC’s 2025 recruiting class.

“We obviously have a ton of confidence in both [Jayden] and Husan and what that room has a chance to become,” Riley said. “We’re going to put a lot of emphasis, a lot of reps, a lot of time into those two guys. On top of their skill sets, I just love the way those two guys are wired. We obviously have to get someone else in some role to fill out a room and make sure we’re doing right by the team. But if you told me next year we’re going in with those two guys, like I feel like we will, I’m very very excited about it.”

Adding a top-flight quarterback transfer isn’t just a matter of selling him on Riley or dangling a starting spot. It also means paying top dollar in a competitive market, where the best quarterbacks are commanding name, image and likeness packages that reach seven figures. Any NIL money spent on a quarterback means less to spend on other positions in the portal.

Complicating the situation even further is the fact that Maiava’s representation will want to renegotiate his NIL deal after his three-game audition. And considering the coach’s public votes of confidence, it’s safe to assume Maiava has the leverage to command a sizable raise.

It’s not as if the market is bursting with top-line quarterbacks, either. Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold are both former five-star prospects who were replaced after less-than-stellar starts at their respective schools. Others have experience: Fresno State’s Mikey Keene started 21 games the last two seasons, while Liberty dual threat Kaidon Salter started 29 after beginning his career as a four-star signee at Tennessee.

Read more: UCLA and USC football transfer portal tracker: Who’s in and who’s out?

More big-name passers could enter the portal between now and the end of December when it closes. So far, though, there are no obvious starting options to pursue. Even as USC fans call for a new quarterback, the shrewd move for Riley may be standing pat with the one he’s got while developing the freshman behind him.

After all, Maiava made major strides during his first season at USC. His arm talent and his athleticism never were a question. But since starting work with a private coach, the sophomore’s footwork and mechanics improved considerably. So too has his understanding of protections and other complexities of the position.

Against Notre Dame, the top-rated pass defense in college football, Maiava threw for 360 yards — almost 100 more than any other quarterback who faced the Fighting Irish. Seven of his 27 completions in USC’s season finale went for more than 20 yards, as Maiava aired it out fearlessly.

It was “the best offensively we played all year,” Riley said afterward. But two late pick-sixes sealed the Trojans’ loss and stuck with Maiava, who looked crestfallen in the postgame press conference.

“There’s a lot to learn from, for sure, within the past three games I played,” Maiava said. “I would say, can’t turn the ball over in big moments. I let the team down, especially the seniors. But I’m grateful for the opportunity that coach gave me.”

It won’t be the last chance he gets from Riley, either. And in the moment, the coach leaned over to his quarterback in support.

“You were also a big part of why we were in that game,” he told Maiava. “Remember that.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.