USC quarterback Husan Longstreet announces he’s entering transfer portal
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- Quarterback Husan Longstreet is entering the transfer portal after just one season at USC as he seeks a chance to play immediately.
- The departure leaves USC needing to add depth at quarterback and complicates its quarterback plans for the future.
When Husan Longstreet arrived at USC a year ago, the expectation was the five-star freshman would be the Trojans’ future at quarterback.
But after just one season at USC, Longstreet is leaving.
Longstreet entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, throwing the Trojans’ future plans at football’s most important position into question. USC has just three quarterbacks on the roster, one a freshman in Jonas Williams.
However, there’s no doubt who will remain USC’s quarterback next season. Returning starter Jayden Maiava, who led the Big Ten in passing yards last season (3,711), announced last month that he will play another season at USC instead of declaring for the NFL draft.
It might be tempting, but now is not the time to make anyone on USC’s current staff the defensive coordinator.
That left Longstreet with a choice: spend another season on the sideline or search for opportunity elsewhere.
USC coach Lincoln Riley made a plea for his young quarterback’s patience last month.
“For any player, especially a quarterback, I don’t know if this would be the right time to leave this place,” Riley said. “This thing is getting pretty good. And I think a lot of people recognize that, both in what we have now and what we’re bringing in, where this thing is going.”
But Longstreet’s father, Kevin, told recruiting site On3 last month that his son was looking for a chance to contribute immediately.
“He loves USC, the team and players, but no guarantees in life and Husan is a competitor,” Kevin Longstreet told On3’s Greg Biggins. “Everyone is saying ‘sit for another year, only need one good year.’ But there’s no guarantee Lincoln is back next year, what if we struggle and a new staff comes in? Then he has to learn whole new system. He wants to play now and give himself his best shot.”
It wasn’t until late in the recruiting process in November 2024 that USC even emerged as a serious option for the Corona Centennial standout. He spent the previous seven months committed to Texas A&M, while USC already had a 2026 quarterback committed in Julian Lewis.
But after a delicate dance of courting both quarterbacks, USC pivoted to Longstreet and managed to flip him from the Aggies. It was one of Riley’s most significant recruiting victories at USC. Lewis, meanwhile, switched his commitment to Colorado.
“The more we got to know him, got to evaluate him, the more we got to see his mental makeup, how team-oriented he was, how serious he was about the game, we just felt like in the end, there wasn’t a better fit for us,” Riley said of Longstreet on signing day in December 2024. “That’s eventually why we made the decisions we made. I feel like we landed on the perfect guy for us.”
A look at all the players who are transferring in and out of UCLA and USC in the NCAA transfer portal ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Longstreet appeared in four games as a freshman, retaining his redshirt year. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another 76 yards and two scores. He’ll have four seasons of eligibility remaining wherever he ends up.
“As a hometown kid, representing USC was an incredible opportunity I’ll always cherish,” Longstreet said in a statement on social media. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and ready to embrace the next opportunity with faith, purpose and gratitude.”
With Longstreet gone expect Williams and sixth-year senior Sam Huard, who filled the No. 3 spot on the depth chart last season, to compete to be the backup.
