How 5-Star Quarterback Husan Longstreet Could Shake Up USC's Offense

USC Trojans five-star freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet has drawn rave reviews since arriving on campus last December. Could Lincoln Riley begin utilizing the highly coveted recruit in specific package of plays?

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) in the second half against the Missouri State Bears at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES — Let’s be clear, Jayden Maiava is the USC Trojans starting quarterback. There is no quarterback controversy brewing in Los Angeles. 

Maiava has been excellent through five weeks this season. He ranks second in the country in passing yards and yards per completion. His completion percentage is up 11-percent from a year ago and has only committed one turnover. 

Maiava’s improvement in year two under Lincoln Riley has been drastic. The redshirt junior signal-caller is the leader of the team, evident by him being a team captain every week, when they change on a weekly basis. His teammates have gravitated towards him. 

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) in the second half against the Missouri State Bears at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

However, there is a chance we could start seeing five-star true freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet get utilized in specific packages. 

The Trojans tried it a couple of times last weekend against Illinois. One play was a handoff and the second was a 16-yard run by Longstreet in the red zone. 

Utilizing Talented Freshman 

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) carries the ball against the Missouri State Bears in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The idea of taking your starting quarterback out of the game definitely differs from coach to coach, but if Riley sees an opportunity to maximize his offense, he’s going to take it. 

And it’s clear the Trojans have no intentions of trying to hold onto Longstreet’s redshirt when he can help contribute now. 

Longstreet is a very good athlete. He displayed it in the second half of the season opener against Missouri State, when he rushed 54 yards and two touchdowns. But what would make Longstreet's specific plays effective is his ability as a passer, which will keep defenses honest when he's in the game. 

The five-star recruit has one of the strongest arms in college football. He showed it off multiple times during his senior season, while competing at the Elite 11 Finals and Polynesian Bowl. Longstreet has been accurate in his brief playing time, completing 13 of 15 passes. 

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This wouldn’t be new territory for Riley. He used Kyler Murray during Baker Mayfield’s Heisman Trophy winning season at Oklahoma in 2017. And Riley did the same with another talented five-star freshman in Caleb Williams when Spencer Rattler was the starting quarterback for the Sooners to begin the 2021 season.

And similar to those guys that played a limited role under center, Longstreet wouldn’t have series or even chunk plays, it would most likely be just a few plays, if any every week. But it would give defenses and extra thing to worry about when they game plan against the Trojans. 

Making Strides in Year One

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) carries the ball against Missouri State Bears cornerback Navonn Barrett (5) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Longstreet, who comes from nearby Corona Centennial (Calif.) has been on campus for almost an entire year, since arriving last December during bowl practice. 

The Trojans went all-in on flipping Longstreet last fall when he was committed to Texas A&M, despite holding a commitment from four-star quarterback Julian Lewis at the time. USC ultimately did just a few weeks before the early signing period. 

Riley and offensive coordinator Luke Huard have taken every opportunity to rave about one of the crown jewels of the 2025 recruiting class. 

The Trojans head coach said Longstreet is “improving quickly” when he spoke with the media on Tuesday. 

“He's busted his tail and we got a lot of confidence that when he goes in he's gonna be able to operate our offense and make plays and do what he does out there on the practice field,” Riley said. 

Relationship with Luke Huard

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) is tackled by Missouri State Bears safety J.J. O'Neal (16) and cornerback Jordan Dunbar (12) in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Huard has a relationship with Longstreet that dates back to when the Trojans quarterback was a freshman at Inglewood high school, which is located less than 10 miles from USC's campus. 

Huard had a massive smile on his face during our conversation at the team’s media days in July when talking about Longstreet as a player, but also as a person and his drive to be great.

That bond has now carried over into the collegiate ranks and has played a big role in the development of Longstreet during his first season on campus.