Miller Moss is a quarterback. Moreover, he is a backup quarterback. He really needs the USC Trojans’ defense to be much-improved in 2023.
We don’t ordinarily say such things, namely, that a backup quarterback urgently needs the defensive unit on his team to make a significant leap, but that’s where we are with Moss entering the 2023 USC season.
You might already know where this conversation is going, but USC beat writer and analyst Shotgun Spratling lends context to it in his profile of Moss at 247Sports:
“While gaining tutelage from one of the top offensive minds in football is great, learning from game experience is even more valuable, and that’s not something Moss got much of last year despite USC’s prolific offense putting up 41.4 points per game. Williams stayed healthy (until the hamstring injury he played through in the Pac-12 Championship) and Moss only got real action in two games. He played 16 snaps against Rice and 17 snaps versus Colorado. Because of the Trojans’ defensive deficiencies, they weren’t able to blow out any other opponents, meaning Moss and the rest of the reserves didn’t get extra opportunities to gain the irreplaceable game experience.
“Moss performed admirably in the limited opportunities he did receive. He wasn’t asked to do much. He wasn’t taking a bunch of deep shots or running playactions with deep crossers that took time to develop. He threw screens and quick catch-and-throw passes. But he was decisive, efficient and accurate. Moss completed six of seven passes for 81 yards against Rice and six of seven passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Colorado game.”
It’s actually not that complicated: If the USC defense plays better, the Trojans will blow out more opponents, giving Moss the greatly increased snap counts he needs to evolve this year, so that when 2024 comes, he will be ready to be the QB1 if Malachi Nelson doesn’t develop quickly. Moss’s loyalty to the USC program would be rewarded. He won’t transfer elsewhere. He would get his chance at USC. It would be a great outcome for him.
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