Who will be USC's quarterback?

Maiava stuffs the stat sheet, but Longstreet is considered a can't-miss prospect

- BY RYAN KARTJE

JAYDEN MAIAVA, with coach Lincoln Riley looking on this month, has been most-ly efficient this season. He must determine whether to enter next year's NFL draft.

(BONNIE RYAN Associated Press)

During each of his last two Decembers at USC, Lincoln Riley faced a critical decision at quarterback: pursue a new passer in the portal or trust the one who's next in line?

In each case, Riley opted to keep the known quantity. But as his fourth regular season at USC comes to a close Saturday against UCLA, the coach could face a more complicated conundrum at the position this offseason.

Run it back with Jayden Maiava, who statistically has been one of the more accomplished passers in college football this season? Or turn the page to electric five-star freshman Husan Longstreet, who might not be willing to wait much longer for his shot as USC’s starting quarterback?

It’s a question that has confounded many college football coaches during the transfer portal era, as the notion of a top quarterback prospect patiently waiting his turn to be named a starter increasingly has become rare. Of the top dozen quarterbacks in the class of 2024, six already have transferred. From 2023, it’s seven of the top 12. From 2022, it’s eight. And of those who do stay, only a handful still were waiting to start as sophomores.

It’s not clear yet if that'll be the case with Longstreet. But this week Riley made a clear plea for the young passer's patience when asked about the challenge of convincing a top prospect to stick around in a reserve role.

"For any player, especially a quarterback, I don’t know if this would be the right time to leave this place," Riley said. "This thing is getting pretty good. And I think a lot of people recognize that, both in what we have now and what we're bringing in, where this thing is going."