Miller Moss: The Next Great USC Quarterback in Coach Lincoln Riley's Era

USC's sophomore quarterback Miller Moss has impressed in his first three starts, earning praise from head coach Lincoln Riley for his intelligence and leadership.

Miller Moss has quickly made a name for himself as the starting quarterback of the USC Trojans. In his first three starts, he has thrown for 979 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception, leading the Trojans to a 3-0 record.

Moss's impressive start has drawn comparisons to some of the great quarterbacks Riley has coached in the past, such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts, and Caleb Williams. However, Moss's path to USC was different from the high-profile recruits Riley has landed in the past. Moss grew up a Trojans fan in Santa Monica, California, and stayed committed to USC even when Williams transferred from Oklahoma and became the Trojans' starting quarterback.

"He stayed here when he didn't have to," Riley said of Moss. "He really put the program—both the program and his dreams of not just playing quarterback at this level, but doing it at this school—he put that front and center, and I think it's earned him the respect of our team, the locker room, and really the entire program."

Moss's intelligence and leadership have impressed Riley, who believes he has the potential to be one of the best quarterbacks he has coached. "There's no question [Moss] is really smart," Riley said. "He's one of the smartest ones, and maybe the smartest [quarterback] that I've had, which is saying something."

While Moss has excelled at USC, his former teammate Williams has struggled in his first NFL outing with the Chicago Bears. Williams completed just 14 of 29 passes for 93 yards in the Bears' 24-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Riley believes Williams will improve as he learns the NFL game. "It was a little bit of a tough outing in some ways, but that's that league," Riley said. "There's no doubt he's going to make some great plays, and I know he made some really important plays at the end of that game for them to win it. He's going to definitely get better, certainly, as it goes on—as he learns his team, as he learns the league, as he sees how people are going to defend him. ... I think he's going to continue to adapt."

The Trojans' next test will be a tough one, as they travel to Michigan on Sept. 21 for their Big Ten opener. Moss will face one of the best defenses in the country, but he will have the opportunity to prove that he is ready to take on the big stage.