“Who we are? There’s no identity. We have good players. Need to recruit harder. As frustrated as anyone. Want to see USC back to being a contender. Don’t think we are close at the moment.” These are not just the words of former USC Trojans QB Matt Leinart. They represent what the culture at the Trojans is feeling right now. How did we even get here? Remember those sweet first few weeks of the 2024 season when even Paul Finebaum was praising Lincoln Riley? Oh, that amazing away win against the LSU Tigers. What glorious days!
What glorious days before it went downhill, ending in a loss to archrivals Notre Dame. So, the question is, what went wrong with Lincoln Riley and the Trojans?
Well, Lincoln Riley had moments in his offense that were often a treat to watch as we saw his defense crumbling like a card deck. The offense, at least on paper, was good. They finished their season ranked 2nd in total yards gained per game (437.2) and 1st in passing yards (291.9) in their conference. But they still had a quarterback problem in their hands as Riley switched to Jayden Maiava after subpar performances from Miller Moss later in the season. But they have just a new elite QB in Husan Longstreet, and he is looking like the missing piece in Riley’s puzzle.
Cody Bellaire, a national scout at ON3 Recruits, provided insight as to how Husan Longstreet could be a game-changer recruit for Riley. “I think we all agree it’s probably Jayden Maiava show for USC going into next season, but man, I think the ceiling for this kid [Husan] is truly non-existent; it’s as high as he wants it to be because this might be one of the most gifted throwers of the football I’ve seen in quite a long time; and if he can take this first year to hone his craft and continue to be more consistent with his accuracy, then the folks at USC might have something truly special brewing at the quarterback position.” At first glance, it looks like a lot to ask from a freshman QB of the 2025 class, but wait till you hear the reasoning behind this statement.
We all know the Trojans’ main problems lie in their defense, which is being slated to be corrected in the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes. However, their QB problem is also not something to be ignored. Jayden Maiava does look like a decent option, and we saw what he could do in the last 4 games in the 2024 season, especially the Trojans’ win against the Aggies that guaranteed him a QB1 spot in the 2025 season. However, Husan Longstreet’s talents have the potential to surpass Maiava and even challenge his starter position in maybe the 2026 season.
Husan Longstreet is a QB standing at 6 foot 1 inches tall and weighing around 195 lbs, hailing from California. When you look at his tape, you can see that he possesses an exceptional arm talent that can even be termed the strongest in the 2025 freshman class. His talent to find and deliver the ball to a guarded receiver is something very natural, coupled with his running threat, that makes him very lethal in RPO situations. But that’s not even the beginning of his talent.
Double Blow to Marcus Freeman by Lincoln Riley?
Husan threw for 3,013 yards at 66.8% passing accuracy and 645 running yards as a junior in high school. Furthermore, his senior season, though marred with injury, was still quite decent, as he threw for 1,641 yards and scored 19 touchdowns. The stats and his natural playmaking ability make him one of the most versatile talents of the 2025 class. However, he will still need to work in his operation inside the pocket and work inside the structure of the Air Raid offense that Lincoln Riley works in. He might just have the personnel at USC to do just that. Here’s why.
USC has recently hired their new GM, Chad Bowden, at a salary of about $1 million. He is a phenomenal recruiter and has already made moves for the 2026 class that have been hurting Marcus Freeman quite a bit. For instance, 4-star Simote Katoanga, a blue-chip D-line 2026 prospect, was slated to join Notre Dame, only to commit to the Trojans finally. Another 4-star WR, Trent Mosley, is a prospect who was pursued by Marcus Freeman but is expected to join Chad Bowden’s camp at USC Trojans, as per On3’s Steve Wilftong. So, what does this all mean?
Well, Chad Bowden’s hiring has more potential than it looks. He is also the former Irish GM and was pivotal in the recruiting at Notre Dame. His hiring has certainly raised too many eyebrows in the Irish’s fanbase, especially with him making moves to snag Notre Dame targets. It seems Marcus Freeman has to do more now to convince his top recruits to stay.
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