Los Angeles — Southern California quarterback Miller Moss is entering the transfer portal after losing his starting job with the Trojans last month.
Moss made the announcement on social media Monday.
Moss started the Trojans’ bowl win last season and played the first nine games of this season before coach Lincoln Riley replaced him with Jayden Maiava in early November.
“It has been my lifelong dream to be a USC Trojan,” Moss wrote. “Competing for a gold medal with the Cardinals and representing my teammates and school is something I will forever be proud of. I put everything I have into this – body, mind, spirit and soul – and I am humbled and proud of what I have done. My teammates and I achieved it.”
Moss, who was born in Los Angeles and attended high school in the San Fernando Valley, signed with USC before Riley arrived at the school. Moss also stayed with the Trojans after Caleb Williams transferred from Oklahoma to rejoin Riley, serving as Williams’ backup for two seasons before getting a chance to play in last year’s Holiday Bowl, where he threw six touchdown passes.
Moss has completed 64.4% of his passes for 2,555 yards this season, including 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions. After a stellar 378-yard performance to beat LSU in the Trojans’ season opener, Moss played poorly as a starter, but he wasn’t even a difference-maker as USC finished with a 4-5 record.
Moss threw seven interceptions in his last five starts before losing his job to Maiava. The Trojans are 1-4 under Moss, who plays a more traditional pocket passer role, and Maiava has the mobility typically favored by quarterbacks in Riley’s spread offense.
“As I look to the future, I am unwaveringly committed to becoming a better quarterback and leader and achieving that at the next level,” Moss wrote.
Moss had already graduated from USC and registered on the portal as a graduate student.
USC (6-6) is headed to a bottom-tier bowl game again to end the season, its third under Riley.
___
AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
