Why Lincoln Riley Chooses Miller Moss as USC Trojans’ Starting QB?

Miller Moss is a leading example of patience and perseverance leading to the achievement of great things. After a long wait of three years, the USC Trojans officially declared the Redshirt Junior their starting quarterback. Moss has been a massive Trojans fan. However, his journey with USC did not start as he had expected. He was on the bench for three consecutive years.

Head coach Lincoln Riley had also been waiting for this day long. Finally, on August 19, he named Moss as their starting QB. The current position means a lot to Moss because he has worked hard in all the spring practice and most of fall camp. USC announced the news on social media in a rather formal tone. The 22-year-old player did half of his job in the Holiday Bowl last December. With an impressive performance, he threw three passes, completing 23 for 372 yards, and tallied six touchdowns. That day, his performance on the field helped USC secure a 42-28 victory over Louisville.

After that game, Riley considered Moss the frontrunner in the quarterback competition against Maiava. He recalled his thoughts that day: “He’s certainly ahead right now, there’s no question about that… We’re in a position right now where we don’t have to name a starter… If we played today, it would certainly be Miller.”

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via Imago

In addition to his brilliant performance in December during the fall camp, Moss showed his leadership qualities and told everybody he could be the starting quarterback. He was not only consistent on the field, but his positive attitude showed how badly he wanted to be in the position he was in today. He also represented USCs at the Big Ten media days in Indianapolis.

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Lincoln Riley’s unsung relationship with the Heisman TrophyLincoln Riley is a big name in football, especially regarding quarterbacks. Riley’s track record speaks volumes. His guidance has helped Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Wiliams win the Heisman Trophy. Also, Jalen Hurts is one of them who finished as a runner-up. Riley’s direction has helped all three Heisman winners to be in the first overall in NFL drafts. While Hurts was in the 2nd round of the draft, he also had a Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Moss has a bigger responsibility on his shoulders because Mayfield, Williams, Murray, and Hurts have already achieved a lot, and somewhere, he has pressure to match their performances. Although Moss is slightly different and has his own style, Riley’s dual-threat quarterbacks were known for their pass and run techniques. All four quarterbacks for Riley are now leading NFL teams.

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ESPN reported Riley’s comment on how all five quarterbacks are different from each other. “There’s always I think some core things that you do and believe in that probably won’t change a whole lot regardless of who’s there, and then there’s certainly us doing our job to put our players in the best position we can.”

Moss, who was eagerly waiting for this opportunity, is all set for his first test of being a starting QB against LSU on September 1 in Las Vegas. Comment below on your expectations from the new starting QB.