The USC Trojans under Lincoln Riley were having a disastrous season in 2024. Sure, they started it on a good note with a win against LSU and then followed it up by a 48-0 thumping of Utah State. Then came the dreaded Michigan game on the road, which they lost by a margin (27-24). Nevertheless, things started to look bleak from then on. 3 consecutive losses with Miller Moss as their quarterback. What could they do then?
Well, Lincoln Riley did what any coach would do at that point. Threw enough dirt on the wall that some of it stuck. It was an experiment of sorts in a season that was already beyond saving. He gave his new QB, Jayden Maiava, who transferred from UNLV Rebels, a chance to prove himself. And boy, did he light up the scenes in those games. Maiava started 4 games in total, including their Bowl game against Texas A&M. He won all of them, except he failed short against Notre Dame. But, who could fault him? This was a team rolling over opponents like playing in their backyard. Maiava did what Moss couldn’t. And from then on, it looked quite optimistic for the player. Until a recent announcement stole his spotlight.
Yes, we are talking about the Trojans’ recent acquisition of Husan Longstreet. A 5-star prospect who is rated 97.59 on On3. This is the sort of player you build teams around. I mean, his stats in high school don’t even begin to describe the type of player he is. Having a career total of 4,724 yards, he led his team to Southern Section Divison 2 runner-up. He has long been dubbed by various analysts as a potential contender for the QB1 spot in the 2025 season. But Jayden Maiava may have good news now.
On3 analyst J.D. PicKell provided the apt reasoning for why Maiava should be the starting QB in 2025. “I saw against Notre Dame where he (Maiava) throws a pick-six, it was a tough play in the swing of that game for USC. It put him on their heels a little bit. A lot of quarterbacks when they have a tough mistake they take their foot off the gas a little bit… In the bowl game you saw against A&M, they had a bit of a rough start but came roaring back. (Maiava) leads USC to a big win to finish their season in that bowl game, and like that’s that’s something you can’t really account for. Either you have it or you don’t; it’s very hard to coach into somebody.“
Well, J.D. PicKell is right in many aspects since Jayden Maiava was the player who led USC out of what could have been an embarrassing season, so credit’s where it’s due. Furthermore, the player’s determination and persistence are something of an added trait which will give you long returns. His stats when he played for UNLV also make him a decent prospect, as he achieved 3,085 yards and a 63.5% completion rate. But now comes another problem for the USC Trojans and Coach Riley.
Lincoln Riley’s game-changer prospect slipped from his grasp?
Well, we all know what USC Trojans have done to land their 2026 class, which is ranked second in B1G and also second nationally. That gives you an idea of the level at which Lincoln Riley is building. 5-star Xavier Griffin, linebacker rank 1; RJ Sermons, cornerback rank 2 and Brandon Lockhart, another cornerback who is ranked 6th. The class screams ‘talent’ at first glance. And in all these names, there was to be another addition.
Davon Benjamin, a top 4 cornerback/safety, was touted to commit to USC until Oregon swooped in at the end. Justice Hopkins, a top recruiting analyst who has given a 65% chance of Oregon’s landing the two-way star, shared the news. “The Ducks have probably led for quite some time now,” said Hopkins. “USC has done well so far recruiting DBs in California, but they won’t get them all. Oregon is the team to beat here.”
This essentially means that Lincoln Riley will be missing a player who, at 6’0″, could have been the game-changer at USC. But, still seeing the kind of firepower they have in their 2026 class at the CB room, it seems the move will hurt a little but not quite a lot.
The post Husan Longstreet’s USC Future Takes Unexpected Turn as Lincoln Riley Urged to Make Big Call After Troubling Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.