Lincoln Riley Names Potential Starting Quarterback in Position Battle

Caleb Williams is headed to play pro football as he'll soon be the first name called in the 2024 NFL Draft. With that, Lincoln Riley is going to have to find his replacement for the 2024 college football season. It'll be the first time in three seasons he didn't have Williams under center. 

Riley has picked out a leader in the quarterback battle, giving a hint at who could be starting for USC come this fall.

Trojans quarterback Miller Moss would "grade out pretty darn high for the day" after his spring game performance, according to Riley. This is, of course, with him having thrown two interceptions.

"We’re going to go back and certainly evaluate the whole thing," Riley said. "He’s certainly ahead right now. There’s no — there’s not a question about that."

While Williams opted out of the Holiday Bowl for the Trojans, Moss had a chance to shine, throwing six touchdown passes. Now, he's the frontrunner to be the program's starting quarterback this fall.

"We don’t want the one bad one, but when you play enough snaps it’s going to happen from time to time. And it’s good for him to feel a little bit of both," Riley said. "One of the things I was most proud of in the bowl game was when he threw the pick. We came back, and he was lights out after that. It’s just part of playing the position."

The battle includes quarterbacks Jayden Maiava and Jake Jensen, which is obviously being led by Moss. 

"If we played today, we'd start Miller in a heartbeat," Riley stated.

The sophomore understands the program -- having seen how Williams operated 

"I don’t think my mentality or approach has been based on Lincoln saying that I'm the starting quarterback or not," Moss said. "My job is to lead this team."