Caleb Williams #13 congratulates Miller Moss #7 of the USC Trojans after defeating the Louisville Cardinals 42-28 in the DIRECTV Holiday Bowl at Petco Park on December 27, 2023 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
It came as no surprise when coach Lincoln Riley named USC QB Miller Moss his starter for the Trojans' season opener vs LSU next weekend. But Moss has some of the biggest shoes to fill in college football. He replaces Caleb Williams who won a Heisman Trophy and became the top pick of the NFL Draft.
Moss has been a backup for three years and was getting ready to transfer out of SoCal at the end of the 2023 season. However, when Williams refused to play in the Holiday Bowl to protect his draft status, Moss stepped in and threw 6 touchdown passes vs Louisville and Lincoln Riley knew he had his next QB.
MAKE ROOM FOR USC QB MILLER MOSS
In fact, Riley had to tell Will Howard not to come to Troy, where he was planning to transfer. That is how he ended up at Ohio State instead.
You may be wondering if Riley made these decisions based on one game. Sort of. It was really the six weeks of practice between the end of the Trojans' regular season and their bowl appearance that allowed Riley to truly evaluate Moss and see him take command of his team.
Moss takes over a team that is making its debut in the Big Ten. And USC's Big Ten schedule is tougher than most and it is bookended with the opener vs LSU and the season finale vs Notre Dame. But with his big arm and his intelligence (he graduated from USC in two years) and an offensive-minded coach in Lincoln Riley, Moss could be poised for success on the field - as long as the defense can hold opponents under 30 points a game. That is another story for another day. Welcome to the Big Ten USC QB Miller Moss.
For more college football talk tune in to Craig Shemon and Company each weekday from 2-6 on ESPN Southwest Florida.
