It was expected from the moment he lost his starting job last month, and quarterback Miller Moss made it official Monday in announcing his plans to transfer.
The NCAA transfer portal opens next Monday, but graduate transfers like Moss can enter at any time. So far, Moss is the first USC player since the end of the season to announce his intentions to depart the program.
Moss passed for 2,555 yards, 18 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in nine games before USC coach Lincoln Riley announced a quarterback change going into the Trojans' second bye week, installing Jayden Maiava as the starter for the final three games.
With one more season of eligibility, Moss was all but certain to depart the program at that point.
He shared his thoughts on social media in his farewell post to USC, coaches, teammates and fans.
"Being a USC Trojan was a lifelong dream of mine. Putting on the cardinal and gold and competing on behalf of my teammates and school is something I will forever take pride in. I poured everything I have into this -- body, heart, mind and soul -- and am humbled by and proud of what my teammates and I accomplished and fought tooth and nail for," Moss wrote.
"... I could not be more grateful for the support from my coaches. The guidance that I have received will last me far beyond my days of playing football. To Gavin Morris, Bennie Wylie, Lincoln Riley and Kliff Kingsbury, your mentorship has been and will continue to be invaluable.
"To my teammates and closest friends: It is the people that make the place, and you guys are what truly made my experience special. I have always felt the goals and accomplishments are less meaningful without relationships to share them with, and the past few years at USC are a testament to that belief.
"Looking towards the future, I'm unwaveringly committed to becoming an even better quarterback and leader, and to achieving this at the next level. In order to realize these goals, I am entering the transfer portal as a graduate student."
Moss was honored with USC's seniors before the game Saturday vs. Notre Dame, where he hugged Riley on his way out to the field.
He later walked around an empty Coliseum after leaving the locker room, taking it in one last time.
Moss' story was a unique one in college football today, as the former four-star prospect waited three years for his turn to play, choosing not to transfer out while being the third-string QB his freshman year and then sitting behind Caleb Williams the next two seasons.
He got his shot to play in the Holiday Bowl last year and made the most of it while passing for 372 yards, 6 touchdowns and an interception vs. a ranked Louisville team in a performance that caused the coaching staff to back off any plans to pursue an established veteran QB in the transfer portal.
Still needing depth, the Trojans instead landed redshirt sophomore Jayden Maiava, who had started one season at UNLV.
Moss was the clear-cut choice to start this season for the Trojans and he started well, passing for 378 yards and a touchdown in USC's season-opening win over a ranked LSU team.
He weathered the early part of the season playing behind a struggling USC offensive line that would get much better as the fall progressed, but Moss took a lot of hits in the process. Eventually, his undoing came as the interceptions piled up -- he threw 3 picks in his final start, a 26-21 loss at Washington on Nov. 2.
His replacement, Maiava, had his own turnover struggles, throwing three pick-6s in his three starts -- including two at the end of USC's 49-35 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Maiava finished the season with 906 passing yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs and 4 rushing TDs.
Moss should be high demand for QB-needy teams. While his decision-making faltered at times late in the season and he merited criticism for some of his costly picks, had he had better pass protection earlier and had his receivers been more reliable throughout, Moss' season could have played out differently with a more befitting end to his USC story.
As for the Trojans, they likely return only Maiava as veteran third-string QB Jake Jensen was honored at senior day before the game Saturday despite having another season of eligibility left. With four-star Rivals100 QB Husan Longstreet set to sign with the program Wednesday, that leaves just two scholarship QBs on the roster.
Riley and Co. will need to find more help through the transfer portal, even if its JUCO-transfer for depth like Jensen was a couple years ago, but they could also look to bring in a higher-profile transfer to compete for the job with Maiava (and Longstreet).
