USC Football: Who Will Be Lincoln Riley's Next Quarterback?

Examining a possible life after Caleb Williams for USC football.

Let's assume USC Trojans junior quarterback Caleb Williams declares for the 2024 NFL draft, where he is expected to be the top pick. 

Where will Lincoln Riley turn? Taking a look back sometimes helps when trying to predict the future. Riley's last couple of quarterbacks (Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams) were all mobile enough. The most likely replacement for Caleb Williams is likely already on the USC roster. Both Miller Moss and Malachi Nelson have limited experience, with Moss holding the edge on Nelson due to the fact that he is older. 

Both were highly touted recruits from the So-Cal area, and both have undeniable arm talent. But neither are as mobile as and Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, Caleb Williams, or even Baker Mayfield for that matter. Malachi Nelson does have a slight edge on Miller Moss in terms of mobility, but again, neither of those players has extensive experience to really bring exigence to that assumption at the college level. 

So, does that mean Lincoln Riley will look to the transfer portal for a quarterback with wheels? With such little time remaining in the 2024 recruiting cycle, it certainly seems like the most likely avenue for another quarterback to enter the running for QB1 at USC in 2024. 

The Athletic's Antonio Morales speculates as to Lincoln Riley's thought process the QB position, should USC no longer have Caleb Williams in 2024. Morales reported what Riley stated regarding the matter:

"I don’t know that I’m in a position to say, ‘Yes, we would go after a portal quarterback,’ and don’t know I’m in a position to say we wouldn’t either. There’s a lot left to transpire. We’ve got a guy in our room who is going to have to make a decision here at some point if he wants to enter the draft or not. We have a couple of quarterbacks in our room who have developed in our program but you always know, this day and age, especially at that position, you never can assume anything". 

I have personally scouted both Moss and Nelson when they were in high school, and both seemed like a bright future in college football was not only possible, but likely. But, given the iron-sharpens-iron environment that Riley has established in every quarterback room for which he was the leader of, it's hard to believe he won't bring in another gunslinger to push both Moss and Nelson for that coveted QB1 spot. 

The attractiveness for transfers to compete for a chance to be QB1 under Lincoln Riley is immense, especially given where Mayfield, Murray, and Hurts are all at now. USC's 2024 QB1 might be the most desired position in all of college athletics next year. It's hard to imagine that the battle to earn that title will remain a two-man race between Moss and Nelson. 

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