USC Spring Football Preview: Quarterback storylines

There may not be a less interesting position group from a storylines standpoint this spring than the quarterbacks -- and that's mostly a good thing.

Junior Caleb Williams is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner looking to become just the second ever two-time winner of college football's top award. But that's a storyline for the fall.

Five-star freshman Malachi Nelson, one of the top quarterback prospects in the country, is officially on campus. But he's recovering from surgery to his non-throwing shoulder and is not expected to be involved in full team periods during the spring. He will be more of a storyline for fall camp.

So where does that leave us, with USC spring football expected to start late next week?

Well, Miller Moss had no competition for the backup job last season. Eventually, when Nelson is healthy, he will this year, so showing continued growth and comfort in the offense this spring would help him solidify the role.

But really, the underlying subplot that won't get talked about much this year is preparing for life after Williams, who should be the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Moss has waited patiently for two years already at USC, first playing behind Kedon Slovis and Jaxson Dart in 2021 and then limited to mop-up duty last season behind Williams. He did maximize those opportunities last fall, completing 12 of 14 passes for 159 yards, a touchdown and 0 interceptions while earning steady praise from the staff for his development and growth in the system.

The stakes are clear, though ...

Presumably, Moss has stayed to enter his third year in the program without a path to the starting job in 2023 because he believes he can be the guy in 2024 and get the coveted showcase of running Lincoln Riley's prolific offense. (And also to graduate from a university that means a lot to he and his family.)

Nelson is content to learn behind Williams and settle in during his first year of college football, but he too carries the mindset that 2024 will be his opportunity to take the reins. He didn't come in as top national recruit to sit for multiple years.

"I feel like I've definitely got to go in there, like I said, go work hard, keep my mouth shut, earn the respect of the players and kind of win that locker room, really trust the people around me," Nelson said last month. "I'm doing as much as I can. I want to be in there with the team, show them that I still want to be there [in workouts despite being limited]. I'm planning on being the leader of this team and picking it up when Caleb's gone."

So while Williams is pursuing more Heisman hardware, the battle will be brewing behind him and largely out of the spotlight with Moss and Nelson jockeying for positioning for 2024. (Not even taking into consideration USC's pursuit for top 2024 QB Dylan Raiola, who could be ready to shine as a true freshman wherever he lands.)

Nelson won't be able to do much of that this spring, though he did say last month he expected to be cleared for some light work this next month and a half and fully cleared for full camp.

In the meanwhile, it's a prime spotlight for Moss to continue building his case for the future while aiming to maintain his hold on the backup job again.

Next up, we'll take a look at the running backs ...

1. Caleb Williams, junior

2. Miller Moss, redshirt sophomore

3. Jake Jensen, junior

*Injured - Malachi Nelson, freshman