State of the program: Evaluating USC's QB picture in the present and future

**TrojanSports.com is breaking down every position group on the USC roster, evaluating the major storylines coming off of spring practice and leading into fall camp, our evaluation of where things stand this season as well as our projection for the future.**

Most every season is ripe with intrigue at the quarterback position for USC, but this one is especially packed with storylines.

In the spotlight, junior Kedon Slovis will try to turn some of the early mock drafts into reality and prove himself as a potential early first round pick in the next NFL draft.

While the Trojans' shortened six-game 2020 season seemed to hurt some of the draft-eligible players this year, either because of the limited sample size or the reality that the Pac-12 just wasn't much in the national focus after starting behind every other conference, that seems to have worked in Slovis' favor.

Within the fan base, there was of course plenty of dissection of his throwing irregularities last fall, but in the big picture it seems he's still being viewed as he was coming off his breakout freshman season when he forced himself onto the national radar with 3,502 passing yards, 30 TDs and 9 INTs in what effectively amounted to a little more than 10 full games combined.

The numbers last year were still good, albeit with a higher interception rate -- 1,921 yards, 17 TDs, 7 INTs in six games to rank sixth nationally in passing yards per game. But Slovis has admitted he battled some confidence issues in his arm coming off the significant elbow injury sustained in the 2019 Holiday Bowl and not having a traditional spring/offseason ramp-up due to COVID.

The good news is the fluttering passes that suddenly appeared last fall were gone this spring, though some questions remained about whether his velocity was compromised as he had several late passes turn into interceptions during camp. It's hard to know if that was physical, simply a byproduct of easing back from the shoulder injury (sprained AC joint) sustained on the final play of the 2020 season or by design.

That's something Slovis has talked about before, telling TrojanSports.com back in January that he's worked hard to transfer more of the torque in his throwing motion to his lower body to lighten the toll on his arm while also embracing the idea that he doesn't have to throw every pass as hard as he can.

"You don't need to throw the ball as hard as you can all the time. You can use your hips and core more efficiently and get it there; as long as it gets there on time it's pretty and it works," he said. "That's something Kurt [Warner] talked to me [about] a lot in high school -- you don't need to throw the ball 1,000 miles an hour. Sometimes you might need to, but 99 percent of the time if you're on time and on target it's going to be OK."

While some allowed doubts to fester further from Slovis' uneven fall to a spring in which he threw a handful of interceptions, I'm not personally concerned. For a couple of reasons ...

First, while Slovis definitely wasn't as sharp last season as he was his freshman year, he nonetheless was nearly lights-out accurate and clutch during the most important moments of USC's three wild comeback wins, and again, the overall numbers (320.1 passing yards per game, 67-percent completion rate) were strong and nearly half his interceptions came against Oregon (which has had his number the last two years). Secondly, though, every reason he gave for why he struggled with his release on some throws last year or why he wasn't quite to his freshman level all make logical sense and can reasonably be overcome with a full spring and summer and the work he's done with 3DQB on his own this offseason.

So, in summary, he was still quite effective last year even if not at his peak, and the reasons he's offered for that differential in performance sound logical and fixable now that he's going through a normal offseason/ramp-up to the season.

That said, it won't just be USC fans scrutinizing Slovis' throws this year. Many early mock drafts -- for whatever they're worth -- think he could be one of the first overall picks in the next NFL draft while others project him later in the first round. All that really means is that he's fully on every scout and general manager's radar and if he performs to his peak potential that is a possible outcome for him. It also means that his performance will be dissected and picked apart like never before.

But think of what it would do for the program and USC recruiting if Slovis is able to indeed solidify himself as a potential top 5 pick. There's a lot to be gained here for the Trojans as well as their QB, and it will be some part of the narrative for as long as his performance feeds into it next fall.

And with his nemesis Oregon (which has accounted for 6 of his 16 career interceptions) not on the schedule, save for a potential Pac-12 title game rematch, the deck is stacked favorably for a huge statistical season -- if all goes well.

The alternative is that Slovis' meh spring carries over into August and beyond and some of the timing issues (whether it's velocity-related or otherwise) trickle into the season. As stated, we're giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, but it would help to see him ease any concerns in fall camp so that the full focus can be on the more intriguing scenario outlined above.

Meanwhile, that's not the only storyline in play ...

In fact, freshmen quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Miller Moss probably had more of the spotlight on them in the spring than Slovis, as the two 4-star early enrollees began battling it out for the future of the position.

The consensus from those of us that watched the 10 practices open to media this spring is that Dart asserted himself as the early leader in that competition, both in terms of making more significant passing plays and also flashing the added dual-threat dimension to his game.

But it's important to remember that Moss didn't have a senior high school season and hadn't played a meaningful game in well over a year before making the leap to USC spring practice. I maintain that we will see another level to his game this summer as he further adjusts and acclimates. The biggest thing holding him back in the spring -- at least from an outside perspective -- was that he didn't take enough shots downfield to truly showcase himself. That could be a product of not making all the reads, or being stuck largely behind the second/third-team offensive line and often with lesser playmakers toward the end of the spring.

It will be fun to continue to monitor that competition this summer, as one of those two will be thrust into action should Slovis miss any snaps. Dart looks to be that guy as of now, but he'll have to keep proving it.

1. Kedon Slovis, junior

2. Jaxson Dart, freshman

3. Miller Moss, freshman

**We emphasize that this is an evolving projection at each position that could look different after August, by the middle of the season, by the end of the season, etc. But based on who is expected to be in the program entering 2022 and our present evaluation, this is our projection**

1. Jaxson Dart, redshirt freshman (in 2022)

2. Miller Moss, redshirt freshman

3A. Mo Hasan, graduate (if he returns for another year after missing all of 2021 following ACL surgery)

3B. Devin Brown, freshman

USC remains set for now in the 2022 recruiting cycle, taking an early commitment from 4-star Rivals250 QB Devin Brown (Queen Creek, Ariz.).

Brown is still a bit raw but projects intriguing upside with his 6-foot-2 frame, strong arm and mobility. He's ranked the No. 9 pro-style QB in the 2022 class, and unless anything changes with his commitment status, USC is set at the position for this cycle.

The intrigue on the recruiting front is focused more on the 2023 cycle, where USC has two elite prospects in its sights in polished 5-star Malachi Nelson (Los Alamitos HS), who is presently the No. 2 overall national prospect, and 6-foot-6 fast-rising 4-star Nico Iamaleava (Warren HS).

Fans are well aware of the dynamics at play there. USC had initially planned to offer only Nelson in the 2023 cycle (at least until he made a decision), but Iamaleava's stock was rising so fast the Trojans decided they needed to get involved now if they were going to have a chance with him, in the event they don't land Nelson.

Nelson remains the priority and could announce his commitment decision as soon as July. There was some fallout from the mechanics of the second QB offer and USC is trying to smooth over any hard feelings on that front with Nelson and his family while maintaining an aggressive recruiting pitch to the 5-star standout, but many see Oklahoma as the favorite at this point. Nelson has yet to visit any of his other top schools, though, including the Sooners, and until he does so in June nothing is definite.

Iamaleava, meanwhile, has drawn a surge of interest this spring, but he made it clear that USC has "been the dream college from a young age," along with Oregon.

In general, the USC recruiting focus is heavily centered on the 2022 class, but in the case of the QBs all the intrigue is shifted to 2023 heading into a pivotal summer.

If the Trojans are able to land Nelson, it would put a lot of pressure on Dart, Moss, Brown and Co. entering the 2023 season. By that point, presumably one has emerged as the entrenched starter through the 2022 season, but 5-star prospects like Nelson usually are primed to play early and that would create a really intriguing dynamic in the QB room. That's not to slight Iamaleava potentially having the same impact, but his emergence as a prospect is still ongoing and at present he doesn't have quite the same clout as Nelson, who has been regarded as the top QB in the 2023 class for quite a while now. His trajectory is trending aggressively upward, though.

It's clear USC has some major work to do in Nelson's recruitment, and if the Trojans aren't able to rally with him but can land Iamaleava, who has familial ties to the program in the form of quality control analyst Viane Talamaivao (Iamaleava's father and Talamaivao's mother are first cousins), the program would also be looking very strong at the position for years to come.

Nelson and Iamaleava are the only two defined QB targets in 2023 for USC at this point, and landing either would set the program up well with strong succession options at the position however the ensuing QB battles shake out in the years to come. But given that USC has so clearly identified those two as the top of the pack at the position in 2023, it feels imperative that the Trojans come away with one of them.

If Nelson ends up committing to Oklahoma or elsewhere this summer, don't expect USC to give up at all -- especially after seeing what patience and persistence were able to do with 5-star DE Korey Foreman (initially committed to Clemson) and fellow top-100 LB prospect Raesjon Davis (initially committed to LSU) in the 2021 class. But that would certainly put even more spotlight on Iamaleava's continued development and where his recruitment goes from here.

-Read more about where things stand with Malachi Nelson and USC

-Read more about where things stand with Nico Iamaleava and USC

**Look for our breakdown of the running back position Thursday.**