Taking stock of USC's 2021 recruiting class: Quarterbacks

**TrojanSports.com took an in-depth look at this 2021 USC recruiting class position-by-position, including film room evaluations on present commits and breakdowns of what to expect the rest of the way. This is the final installment of the series, as we already covered the defensive backs, linebackers, defensive line, offensive line, tight ends, running backs and wide receivers.

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USC's greatest position of need has also been its greatest area of success this recruiting cycle, which has sort of set the tone for the class at large.

With incumbent starter Kedon Slovis expected to be the only scholarship quarterback on the roster by 2021 (it's now unclear what will happen with redshirt senior Matt Fink, if the NCAA grants eligibility extensions), the Trojans absolutely needed to land two QBs in this class.

Not only did USC check off those needs -- at least in the form of commitments -- but it did so with two of the top quarterback prospects nationally in 4-stars Jake Garcia (No. 3 pro-style QB, No. 25 overall national prospect) and Miller Moss (No. 7/91).

It's a rare feet for a program to land two QBs in the same class that are both so highly rated, and so far, both have maintained publicly that their commitment is solid and that they welcome the competition from the other.

What a difference from the end of the 2020 recruiting cycle when USC never recovered from 5-star QB Bryce Young flipping to Alabama last September, and ultimately lost a late recruiting battle to Baylor for 3-star Blake Shapen.

That's in the past now and rendered pretty irrelevant with there being no fall season and both Garcia and Moss expected to enroll early. (There's still no ruling from the NCAA on whether 2021 early enrollees would be allowed to play in a potential spring season).

USC's only need now QB-wise is to keep both of those guys in this class all the way to signing day.

So with no other targets to evaluate or consider, we conclude our position-by-position recruiting breakdown with thorough film evaluations on the Trojans two big-time commits.

Commitment date: Sept. 23

How he fits USC's needs: Garcia announced his USC commitment soon after Bryce Young de-committed from the 2020 class, and that helped to assuage some big-picture concerns to a degree. Garcia is an impressive all-around talent with exceptional mobility in the pocket and a live arm with high upside. He completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 2,301 yards, 25 TDs and 8 INTs over nine games last season for Narbonne HS (per MaxPreps) and will try to play his senior season in Valdosta, Ga., now. It took a few months after Garcia's commitment for the Trojans to start reeling in more pledges in this class, but getting him on board early surely helped with some of the big gets that would follow.

Film room evaluation by TrojanSports.com's Alec Simpson: "Garcia is an elite pro-style quarterback with an ideal frame that will allow him to add more weight/muscle at the next level. He brings a live arm but also the patience in the pocket to deliver beautiful down-the-field throws. Garcia also brings solid athletic ability to be able to escape the pocket and make big throws on the run. The way the football comes out of Garcia’s hand shows a clean release and he definitely displays the skill set of a true Power 5 prospect with high upside.

"At 0:50 seconds on his highlight, Garcia goes through his progressions and steps up into the pocket to throw a nice post route for a touchdown. When watching that play, the footwork is there, the patience is there, the arm strength is there. That’s a Power 5 quarterback making it look easy.

"At 1:03 Garcia shows his athletic mobility, rolling out of the pocket for a play-action pass. He then throws a solid cross route into a tight window for a touchdown. It's intriguing to see how Garcia is able to make a throw on the run like that especially into the tight window he was targeting. Garcia’s ability to extend plays with his feet is something that really catches an eye when watching his film. At 1:36, he feels the pressure, steps into the pocket and is able to throw a shovel pass to his nearby receiver while avoiding a sack that then puts his receiver in the end zone for a touchdown.

"In my opinion, both USC quarterback commits bring desirable attributes to their game, but ultimately Garcia is the better of the two quarterbacks. It will be intriguing to see how he develops in his senior year at Valdosta HS in Georgia and how the move will benefit him for his move to the Pac-12."

Rivals analyst Adam Gorney's scouting report: "I think it's going to be a very nice fit. He is a kid who can throw the deep ball with accuracy, but can easily run [this] offense and he feels comfortable. He's seen it now, he knows how USC's offense is going to run and work. I think he likes that they're going to be able to recruit skill players. They have guys that can make plays and that's what any quarterback is going to want. He's going to be able to sit in the pocket, deliver the ball short and let people run. He's going to be able to deliver it across the middle and deep. He plays and just kind of has an air of confidence about him that I think really fits in with what USC quarterbacks have looked like in the past."

While Garcia does not have a complete HUDL package put together from the 2019 season, below is an updated look at the QB from his workout last weekend in Oceanside, Calif.