USC’s Quarterback Carousel: A Cautionary Tale of College Football’s New Normal
When Husan Longstreet entered the transfer portal and landed at LSU this week, it marked yet another twist in USC’s ever-evolving quarterback saga. Once a five-star recruit and the presumed heir to the Trojans’ QB1 throne, Longstreet’s departure after just one season in Los Angeles is the latest reminder of a reality that’s becoming more and more common in college football: long-term quarterback plans are more fragile than ever.
Over the past eight years, USC has signed or secured commitments from a string of highly touted quarterbacks-many of them five-star prospects-each billed as “the future.” But in this era of early playing time, coaching changes, and the transfer portal, “the future” rarely lasts long. Let’s take a deeper look at USC’s quarterback succession plans across the last decade-and how few of them ever actually played out as envisioned.
JT Daniels: The Golden Boy Who Got Derailed
The Plan:
JT Daniels was supposed to be the guy.
A five-star recruit from the class of 2019, he reclassified to 2018 to fill the void left by Sam Darnold’s early NFL exit. The Trojans handed him the keys to the offense immediately, and the expectation was that he’d be the face of the program for years.
The Reality:
Daniels started as a true freshman but tore his ACL in the 2019 season opener.
His replacement, Kedon Slovis, caught fire and was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. With Slovis entrenched, Daniels transferred to Georgia, where he had a stop-start tenure that included a national title as a backup in 2021.
He finished his college career with stints at West Virginia and Rice before medically retiring in 2023.
Bryce Young: The One That Got Away
The Plan:
USC landed a commitment from Bryce Young, another five-star phenom, in the 2020 class.
The blueprint? Let him sit behind Daniels for a year or two before taking over.
The Reality:
Young never made it to campus.
In fall 2019, he flipped to Alabama-possibly influenced by Slovis’ rise-and went on to win the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Though he didn’t bring a national title to Tuscaloosa, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
His NFL journey has had its ups and downs, but there’s no denying the talent USC lost when he changed course.
Jake Garcia: The Next Best Thing (Who Also Left)
The Plan:
After Young’s decommitment, USC pivoted to Jake Garcia, a four-star QB in the 2021 class. He looked like the Trojans’ next man up behind Slovis.
The Reality:
Garcia never enrolled.
Once USC added two more quarterbacks-Miller Moss and Jaxson Dart-Garcia flipped to Miami. Since then, he’s bounced around college football like a journeyman, spending time at Miami, Missouri, East Carolina, and Michigan.
As of this week, he’s back in the portal, potentially eyeing a sixth year of eligibility.
Jaxson Dart: The Spark That Fizzled at USC
The Plan:
Dart, a four-star recruit in the same 2021 class, got on the field quickly.
He backed up Slovis and started USC’s final three games in 2021, flashing real potential. With a new head coach on the way, Dart seemed like a strong candidate to lead the Trojans into their next era.
The Reality:
Then Lincoln Riley arrived-and brought Caleb Williams with him.
That was the writing on the wall for Dart, who transferred to Ole Miss under former USC coach Lane Kiffin. Dart thrived in Oxford, earning first-team All-SEC honors in 2024 and eventually becoming a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Another talented quarterback USC couldn’t keep.
Malachi Nelson: The Five-Star Who Never Got Going
The Plan:
Lincoln Riley’s first big QB recruit at USC was Malachi Nelson, a five-star from the 2023 class. He started buried on the depth chart behind Caleb Williams and Miller Moss, but the expectation was that his time would come.
The Reality:
It never did.
Nelson attempted just three passes in his lone season with the Trojans before transferring. He spent the next two years at Boise State and UTEP, struggling to find his footing and throwing more interceptions than touchdowns.
Now, he’s back in the portal, searching for a fourth school in four years.
Julian Lewis: The Reclassified Star Who Went Elsewhere
The Plan:
With Williams gone and Nelson transferred, USC looked to 2025 with Miller Moss and UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava leading the room.
Moss started the first nine games of the 2025 season, but Maiava took over for the final four. Meanwhile, USC had a commitment from Julian Lewis, a top-tier recruit who reclassified from 2026 to 2025.
The thinking was clear: Maiava for now, Lewis for the future.
The Reality:
That plan didn’t last long.
In November 2024, USC flipped Husan Longstreet-another five-star-from Texas A&M. With Longstreet in the fold, Lewis decommitted and signed with Colorado.
As a true freshman with the Buffaloes, he showed flashes, throwing for 589 yards and four touchdowns while completing just under 56% of his passes.
Husan Longstreet: The Latest Chapter in the Saga
The Plan:
USC believed they had found their guy in Longstreet. A five-star recruit in the 2025 class, he backed up Maiava this past season and was widely seen as the Trojans’ next starter once Maiava moved on.
The Reality:
Maiava announced he’s returning for 2026, and Longstreet didn’t want to wait.
Instead of sitting another year, he hit the portal and landed at LSU. Another top-tier talent, gone before ever taking the reins.
The Takeaway: QB Plans Are a Moving Target
If you’re trying to map out a quarterback succession plan in college football today, good luck. The combination of the transfer portal, coaching changes, early NFL declarations, and player impatience has made it nearly impossible to forecast who will actually be under center two or even one year down the line.
USC’s last eight years are a case study in this new reality. Six different quarterbacks were once seen as “the future” in Los Angeles.
Some never played a down. Others transferred out before they could take over.
A few found success elsewhere. But almost none of them followed the script.
The lesson? In the modern game, flexibility is everything.
Depth charts are written in pencil, not ink. And for fans, it might be wise to hold off on buying that custom QB jersey until the starter actually takes the field.