Lincoln Riley Speaks Candidly on USC's Backup Quarterback Question Behind Jayden Maiava

Arguably one of the biggest advantages the USC Trojans have heading into the 2026 season is an experienced quarterback at the helm in Jayden Maiava. Maiava enters the season with enormous pressure to help lead the Trojans to the College Football Playoff while also preparing himself for the NFL Draft.

Although it is apparent Maiava will be the Trojans’ starting quarterback, there are still questions surrounding who will back him up as the Trojans look to make a push for a national championship.

USC Trojans backup quarterback QB2 Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava Jonas Williams Sam Huard football fall camp season opener — Southern California’s Jayden Maiava throws down field against Oregon during the first half Nov. 22, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With the Trojans’ first game rapidly approaching, the depth chart has begun to take shape across the roster. However, the quarterback room is one of the biggest exceptions. According to coach Lincoln Riley, the battle for the QB2 spot has been so competitive that the coaching staff still has not been able to determine who will ultimately back up Maiava.

That competition appears to have come down to true freshman Jonas Williams and sixth-year senior Sam Huard.

“We've split Sam Huard’s and Jonas Williams' reps down the middle,” explained Riley. “We typically have made a decision by this point, on kind of how one, two, and three will lay out in that room. But we're not quite at that point yet.”

The two quarterbacks are entering the season at completely different points in their careers.

Williams is a highly rated 2026 signee preparing for his first collegiate season. Huard, on the other hand, is a former five-star recruit per 247Sports, who already has 14 career college games and 10 starts under his belt.

Despite the difference in experience, neither quarterback has been able to separate himself from the other throughout fall camp, meaning one of the most important battles on USC’s depth chart is wide open.

“Both those guys have done a good job. I think they both elevated their play a lot. That's gonna be a difficult decision and one that, we'll see how it plays out throughout the year,” said Riley of the competition.

Sam Huard Gives USC a Veteran Presence Behind Jayden Maiava

Arguably Huard’s biggest edge in the battle for QB2 is his experience. In his four-year career, with one season at Utah, one season at Cal Poly and two seasons at Washington, he’s completed 208-of-347 passes for 2,512 yards with 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

On top of his experience being his biggest advantage in the quarterback competition, that experience could also be Huard’s biggest advantage in Riley’s offense.

As a sixth-year quarterback, Huard has spent years learning how to operate an offense, identify defensive looks and understand protections before the snap. Riley specifically pointed to that experience when discussing the heated battle for backup quarterback.

“Sam's experience now in our offense, having played college football for a while is apparent,” said Riley. “You feel that right now when he's in the huddle. He feels like a veteran. He feels like somebody that is in complete control, and he's done a really nice job physically changing his body. He's moving around a lot better.”

While Huard’s experience gives him an advantage in the current competition, getting to this point in his college career has been anything but a straight path.

Huard’s college career has been shaped by injuries and stops at three different programs. After spending two seasons at Washington and transferring to Cal Poly, where he started nine games in 2023, Huard transferred to Utah but missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing season-ending surgery.

That lost season ultimately allowed Huard to receive an additional year of eligibility, bringing him back for a sixth season and another opportunity to compete for a meaningful role in USC’s quarterback room.

Jonas Williams Brings Youth and Upside to USC’s Quarterback Room

While Huard’s biggest advantage in the QB2 battle is his experience, Jonas Williams has a different kind of advantage.

Williams heads into his freshman season after putting together one of the most productive high school careers in Illinois history. The 2026 four-star signee finished his career as the state’s all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns, per USC. He also earned Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year honors in 2025.

USC Trojans Lincoln Riley Sam Huard Jonas Williams Spring Practice Freshman Early Enrollee Recruiting Class — USC Trojans freshman quarterback Jonas Williams | USC Trojans on SI

Williams’ potential is undeniable. However, unlike Huard, Williams has yet to take a college snap.

That is the biggest question surrounding his push for the backup quarterback job. Beyond adjusting to the physicality of college football, he will also have to adjust to the mental side of the college game.

Williams’ lack of experience doesn’t mean that he is behind Huard in every area. Riley has already given him meaningful reps dating back to spring, and the coaching staff has been impressed with how quickly he has handled the offense.

“Jonas has done a really nice job. We gave him quite a few reps in spring. I thought he handled them well. He's pretty mature. His ability to communicate and operate for his age right now is definitely on the higher end of the true freshmen that I can remember bringing in throughout the years. He's been really impressive.”

If Williams can continue to close the experience gap while maintaining the physical tools that made him one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class, he gives Riley a quarterback with significant long-term potential.

For now, Williams is still trying to prove that potential can translate to the college level. With Huard pushing him every day, the true freshman has an opportunity to accelerate that development much faster than he would in a typical backup role.

“I got two guys there that we can win with,” said Riley. “We'll have to obviously sort that out here at some point, because you can't rep three quarterbacks for forever. But we're gonna let this thing play out as long as we can.”

With the season opener quickly approaching, the battle for QB2 will be one of the storylines to watch as USC begins its push toward the College Football Playoff.

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