LOS ANGELES — When it comes to the quarterback position for the USC football team, the Trojans can never have too much of a good thing.
A position that was in flux last season seems to be heading in the opposite direction this year, with a stable group of quarterbacks who have all impressed so far three weeks into spring camp.
Jayden Maiava, who took over down the stretch last season and went 3-1 in his four starts – including a 35-31 come-from-behind victory over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl – is the frontrunner to start.
But senior transfer Sam Huard and freshman Husan Longstreet, a former Centennial High standout, have earned their fair share of first-team reps through the first three weeks of spring practices due to their steady play.
“We’re repping all three of those guys quite a bit right now,” USC head coach Lincoln Riley said after Tuesday’s practice. “You see Husan’s talent stand out on the field. He’s picking up the offense quickly. Sam has been tremendous. He’s done a really good job in some of the different situational football that we’ve done. … All three guys have done a lot of good things that we’re very excited about and I think they’ve all three showed the capability to be able to help us and be able to move this offense.”
Huard is the most experienced quarterback in the room, starting his college career at Washington before transferring to Cal Poly, an FCS school, where he threw for 2,247 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The son of two-time Super Bowl champion Damon Huard then transferred to Utah where he didn’t see any game action, before joining the Trojans this spring, uniting with his uncle Luke Huard who is the USC quarterbacks coach.
“Obviously, I’ve been in the college football landscape for a couple years now for a little bit, so I’m always just doing everything I can to help,” Huard said. “But at the same time, we’re just continuing to compete, push each other, help each other out, and it’s been a great first 10 practices for spring ball for sure.”
Maiava and the other quarterbacks have been taking advantage of Huard’s knowledge and experience, soaking up loads of information on a daily basis.
“He’s definitely got a lot on his belt behind him in his history and how he’s grown in his career,” Maiava said of Huard. “Definitely having him in the room just complements all of us. Just being able to learn off of him and he’s done such a great job just coming in every day and handling his business and doing what he’s supposed to do.”
Despite being the youngest quarterback in the group, Longstreet has made an immediate impact in spring camp, showcasing his throwing prowess and ability to pick up the offense swiftly.
Graduating a semester early from high school has given him more time to acclimate to the college level and spend more time with Huard and Maiava.
“He’s a very talented kid. Unbelievable arm talent. Very mature for his age,” Huard said of Longstreet. “I’m just fortunate to be in a great room. He and Jayden, great people, all of us just love football, we love to compete. So when you have a room like that there’s not a lot of drama. Just guys who support each other, compete with each other, makes it a great environment to go into everyday.”
As spring camp progresses the quarterbacks want to do the same, continue to get better each day.
Maiava is pleased with the way the quarterback room is developing so far and said they’ve “made some big strides,” but also said there’s always room for improvement.