USC Football: Caleb Williams Sat, So Miller Moss Could Shine. The Holiday Bowl Decision That Shaped The Roster

Former USC Trojan quarterback Caleb Williams has at times been painted as a bad teammate, but according to Brett Kollmann of “The Film Room” on YouTube, and of the Bootleg Football Podcast, Williams wanted to give, three-season USC Football backup quarterback, Miller Moss a chance to shine on the largest platform available to him at the time, the USC vs Louisville in the Holiday Bowl.

Some even thought originally that this very move pointed toward Williams as a poor leader.

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Miller Moss had been waiting for his shot for three years, and Caleb wanted him to get a chance. So Williams went to Moss and told him he was going to sit out so that Moss could start and plant his flag.

Caleb sat, Moss balled out, and every other QB immediately went elsewhere.

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) March 20, 2024

Moss took full advantage of the opportunity. He not only led the team to a 42-28 dismantling of the 10-4 Cardinals but threw for 372 yards and six touchdowns.

The two other contenders for William’s job decided to enter the transfer portal. Freshman, Malachi Nelson entered less than two weeks after it was announced that Williams wouldn’t play in the Holiday Bowl. Redshirt-Junior, Issac Ward decided to transfer just days after the game. Nelson is now with Boise State and Ward remains uncommitted.

2024 USC Trojans Transfer Portal Tracker

Many transferring quarterbacks were linked to the Trojans, but the highest-profile candidates found homes elsewhere. The obvious question is, did Lincoln Riley step back in light of Moss’s tremendous performance?

It didn’t stop Riley from securing Jayden Maiava, UNLV transfer, to ensure a competitive atmosphere at the position heading into what will be a very telling 2024 season.