Miller Moss' top landing spots after USC QB enters transfer portal
USC quarterback Miller Moss became the biggest name to enter the transfer portal this season on Monday, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Moss was supposed to be the successor to Caleb Williams, the next in head coach Lincoln Riley's cadre of star quarterbacks who went on to success, and the player who would guide the Trojans back to national relevance once and for all.
But things didn't go to plan for USC or Moss. With a struggling offensive line in front of him, Moss' deficiencies as a quarterback became glaring issues, as he threw nine interceptions to just 18 touchdowns in 10 games, and was a driving factor in USC going from early playoff hopeful to a woeful 6-6. He seemed to really unravel down the stretch, throwing seven interceptions in his last five starts before being benched for backup Jayden Maiava for the team's last three games of the season.
RELATED: Michigan, Ohio State fined for Saturday's extracurricular activities
Despite his late struggles, Moss figures to be a hot commodity on the transfer market, with proven success at the Power 4 level. He told ESPN he's looking to join a program that is a conference and national title contender, and will certainly draw attention from some schools with those aspirations. Let's break down some potential landing spots for the veteran signal caller.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Speaking of teams with lost seasons, the Florida State Seminoles are coming off of the third-worst season in program history. Head coach Mike Norvell cycled through three different quarterbacks this season, in D.J. Uiagalelei, Brock Glenn and Luke Kromenhoek. All three were distinctly different kinds of awful in Tallahassee, and none of them looked like potential future starters.
While Norvell has plenty of holes to fill in this roster coming into next season, quarterback might be the biggest of them all. Moss isn't a perfect prospect, but his skill set lines up better with what Norvell wants from his signal callers than Uiagalelei did, and since it doesn't look like either Glenn or Kromenhoek are ready to lead the offense, the Seminoles could really use a player with Moss' experience under center next season.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
Assuming Deion Sanders stays at Colorado (and at this point there doesn't seem to be any indication he's leaving), the Buffaloes will need a new quarterback to replace Shedeur Sanders, who is NFL bound.
While they have a promising young signal caller in new recruit Julian Lewis, it's unlikely he'll be ready to start the second he walks on campus in Boulder. And Moss' pass-first sensibilities and quick release make him a great fit for the Buffaloes' offensive system. We all know Coach Prime loves to make a splash in the transfer portal, and the potential to add a field-ready, veteran quarterback with an arm like Moss' will be tough to resist.
Does Colorado have the funding to afford Moss? That remains to be seen. But in terms of getting him ready for a shot at the NFL, while contending for the playoff and conference title, the Buffaloes are a logical choice.
AUBURN TIGERS
The cacophony of discontent with the Hugh Freeze era has been growing louder with each stacking loss in two seasons at Auburn, and most of those howls stem from a singular position: quarterback.
Peyton Thorne might have been one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the Power 4 this season, with a knack for throwing his plethora of interceptions at the absolute worst possible times. The fans and boosters are demanding improvement on the plains, and Freeze is running out of excuses for not finding a better answer under center.
Moss fits the mold perfectly. He has the skill set to thrive in Freeze's offense, and the Tigers have the wide receivers and running backs to make a big jump with a player like Moss throwing the ball next year. On top of that, Moss was recruited by the Tigers out of high school, so he's already familiar with the school and the area. If he wants to go to a potential contender, he could do a lot worse than Auburn.
MIAMI HURRICANES
While it seems unlikely that Miami's season is going to have the kind of ending they hoped for, thanks to last weekend's loss to Syracuse, but the Hurricanes still have a talent-laden roster at multiple positions. The one place they're going to be lacking? Quarterback.
The best remaining quarterback on the roster after current starter Cam Ward heads to the NFL is Emory Williams, who may or may not be ready for the big stage at this point in his career. The Hurricanes have proven they can succeed with transfers under center, and while Moss doesn't bring the chaotic brilliance of Ward, his arm is more than capable of making the throws he'd need to in order to succeed in Coral Gables.
If Moss wants to go to a contender, he could do a LOT worse than the Hurricanes.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
This choice comes with a few caveats. First and foremost among them: will Ryan Day still be the head coach? That decision could change the calculus here a great deal, depending on how his potential departure would impact the team's transfer portal losses.
But the second caveat is of greater import to a player like Moss. While Will Howard started this season, the Buckeyes have a pair of true blue chip recruits in the quarterback room already. They're bringing in five-star quarterback, and number 2 overall prospect Tavien St. Clair in their 2025 class of freshmen. They also have former 5-star prospect Julian Sayin on the roster. Sayin, who initially committed to Alabama before transferring to Ohio State, has been described as potentially being the most "ready to play" young quarterback in his class by 247's Greg Biggins. 4-star quarterback Air Noland is on the roster as well.
Are any of those three ready to go under center for the Buckeyes? If so, Moss obviously wouldn't fit. But if Day (or whoever the coach winds up being next year) decides that their troika of talented youngsters need some more time on the bench, they could turn to the veteran signal caller to serve as their bridge quarterback for one more season.
MORE TOP STORIES From the Big Lead
CFB: Projecting the new Playoff rankings
CFB: This should be the end for Ryan Day at OSU