sam huard – Syndication Server

Should USC have pursued Carson Beck in the transfer portal?

No one at USC should lose any sleep over not getting Carson Beck for 2025.

Entering the 2025 season, there are still some major questions surrounding the state of USC football’s quarterback room. This is why it certainly raised eyebrows, when, on Thursday, Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck entered the transfer portal. Beck started the past two seasons for the Bulldogs, throwing for nearly 7,500 yards and 52 touchdowns and leading them to back-to-back SEC Championship Games.

Barely 24 hours later, however, Beck was off the market, as he committed to Miami on Friday.

With Beck headed elsewhere, however, it raises the question: Should Lincoln Riley and USC have pursued him in the portal?

USC’s QB room heading into spring practice consists of Jayden Maiava, Sam Huard, and Husan Longstreet. Maiava is currently considered the favorite to win the job, as he started the final four games of USC’s 2024 season, going 3-1. However, he should be pushed heavily by both Huard—a former five-star recruit who will be on his fourth different school in five years—and Longstreet—a five-star signee in the class of 2025.

While all three quarterbacks have upside, none have the proven track record of a guy like Beck, who has proven that he can play well against elite competition. So should USC have pursued Beck, then?

On the surface, Beck would be an upgrade over the guys that the Trojans currently have in their QB room. In today’s era of college football, however, it is hardly that simple. Landing Beck would have required a significant investment of NIL funds, which in turn would have meant less money to spend elsewhere.

Beck is a very good quarterback, but is he good enough to justify spending millions of dollars that could have otherwise gone towards upgrading other positions? That’s hard to say.

If Beck lights the world on fire at Miami and wins the Heisman/leads the Hurricanes to the playoff, then we will certainly question the decision by USC not to pursue him further. Given Riley’s success with quarterbacks and the numerous other holes on the Trojans’ roster, sitting this one out feels like a reasonable move on USC’s part.

USC adds quarterback help with a familiar name in transfer portal

USC has a Huard on the coaching staff, and now another Huard on the 2025 football roster.

It’s not Jalen Milroe, but USC football officially has quarterback help in the transfer portal. On Monday, the Trojans landed a commitment from former five-star quarterback Sam Huard. Huard has previously spent time at Washington, Cal Poly, and Utah.

Huard is the nephew of USC quarterback coach Luke Huard.

A highly-touted recruit in the class of 2021, Huard originally committed to Washington, where his father Damon and uncle Brock starred in the 1990s. However, he was stuck behind Michael Penix Jr. and Dylan Morris on the depth chart, and started just one game in two years with the Huskies.

Following the 2022 season, Huard transferred to FCS Cal Poly. He appeared in nine games during the 2023 season, completing 185 of 304 passes for 2,205 yards, 18 touchdowns, and ten interceptions.

He transferred again ahead of thew 2024 season, this time landing at Utah. However, he did not see any action in his lone season with the Utes, and received a medical redshirt.

Now, Huard heads to USC, where he will reunite with his uncle. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.

In addition to Huard, USC’s QB room consists of Jayden Maiava, who started the final four games of the 2024 season for the Trojans, and five-star freshman signee Husan Longstreet. While Maiava will likely enter spring ball as the favorite to win the job, expect USC to have an open competition at the position.

Top-ranked QB Sam Huard breaks Washington state passing record

Five-star quarterback Sam Huard shattered Washington’s career passing record Saturday.

Sam Huard etched his name into Washington’s high school football record book on Saturday, shattering the state’s career passing yards mark in his final prep game.

Huard broke the record late in the second quarter of Kennedy Catholic’s 60-17 win over Kentwood High School. He entered the game needing 341 passing yards to break former Boise State star and current Denver Broncos backup Brett Rypien’s mark of 13,044 yards through the air.

A 12-yard completion to Leland Ward gave Huard the record just before halftime, with Kennedy Catholic holding a commanding 34-3 lead. At the end of the first half, Huard was a remarkable 30 of 38 for 384 yards and five touchdowns. He finished the game having completed 40 of 56 passes for 514 yards and eight touchdowns after being pulled with just over four minutes remaining.

Huard entered Washington’s COVID-19 pandemic-shortened high school football season with 11,745 passing yards and 132 touchdowns in just 32 career games. Huard is the top-ranked pro-style quarterback and No. 11 overall recruit in the class of 2021, according to 247Sports. His scouting report reads:

Quick, effortless release, no wasted motion. Can make all the throws, equally adept at the deep ball while also delivering the short and intermediate throws with ease. Can run if needed but prefers to stay in the pocket and throw open receivers. High football IQ- can read the defense, get through progressions and deliver the ball. Excellent accuracy and able to fit the ball in tight windows. Has cut down on riskier throws from earlier in career. Excellent bloodlines- father is former NFL starter while two uncles also played quarterback at the FBS level, one a former NFL quarterback. Projects as an immediate Power 5 starter and future first round NFL draft pick.

5-star QB Sam Huard inches closer to Washington passing record in senior season debut

Sam Huard shined in his senior season debut over the weekend, throwing for 495 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-14 Kennedy Catholic win.

Five-star quarterback Sam Huard showed no signs of rust after months on the sideline in Kennedy Catholic’s season-opener over the weekend, throwing for 495 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-14 win.

Huard threw for 341 yards and five touchdowns in the first half before Kennedy Catholic jumped out to a big lead and eased off the gas. The University of Washington signee is now just 805 yards away from breaking the Washington state career passing record of 13,044 yards set by former Boise State star and current Denver Broncos quarterback Brett Rypien from 2011-14.

Huard has thrown for 12,240 yards and 139 touchdowns so far in his high school career.

“I just wanted to take a moment and see all my teammates and my coaches and just be out here together,” Huard said postgame, per the Tacoma Tribune. “Just being able to play with these guys, it means the world to me. … That’s the only thing that matters to me at the end of the day is just being out here playing the game that I love with my teammates.”

Huard is the top-ranked pro-style quarterback and No. 11 overall recruit in the class of 2021, according to 247Sports. His scouting report reads:

Quick, effortless release, no wasted motion. Can make all the throws, equally adept at the deep ball while also delivering the short and intermediate throws with ease. Can run if needed but prefers to stay in the pocket and throw open receivers. High football IQ- can read the defense, get through progressions and deliver the ball. Excellent accuracy and able to fit the ball in tight windows. Has cut down on riskier throws from earlier in career. Excellent bloodlines- father is former NFL starter while two uncles also played quarterback at the FBS level, one a former NFL quarterback. Projects as an immediate Power 5 starter and future first round NFL draft pick.