USC starting QB 2024: Who will start for Lincoln Riley's team in Week 13?

The USC Trojans have endured a mixed 2024 college football season. The program is 5-5 heading into Week 13, and they've endured a couple of tough results in the process. One such result was their close loss to the Washington Huskies early in November.

Ahead of their upcoming game against the UCLA Bruins, let's see the quarterback most likely to start for the Trojans.

USC's starting QB against the UCLA Bruins in Week 13

According to Sports Illustrated, it's likely that Jayden Maiava will start against the Bruins in Week 13. The sophomore quarterback was impressive in his first start for the Trojans, and Lincoln Riley sees no need to change a winning formula.

Maiava joined the Trojans ahead of the 2024 college football season after starting his collegiate football career with UNLV. The dynamic shot caller was named Mountain West Freshman of the Year in 2023 and joined the Trojans via the transfer portal.

Maiava was added to bring competitive experience to USC after Caleb Williams was drafted into the NFL. He did just that and performed admirably in his first start as a Trojan, a win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

USC Trojans' QB depth chart

The next quarterback on the depth chart is Miller Moss. Moss started the 2024 college football season as the undisputed starter for the Trojans. He led the team to a 4-5 record as a starter before Lincoln Riley elected to start Maiava in his place for a crunch Week 12 game against the Cornhuskers. The Trojans won the game, and now Moss' long-term starring role is under threat.

Moss has been with the Trojans since 2021, during which time he has played the backup role for numerous quarterbacks. He earned his first start in 2023 and became the team's undisputed starter after Caleb Williams took his talents to the big leagues.

However, Moss' inconsistent play has affected the Trojans, and they need at least one win from their last two games of the season to secure bowl game eligibility. It'll be interesting to see how Moss decides to move at the end of the 2024 season, whether he elects to test the transfer portal or chooses to fight it out for his starting spot.

The other player on the USC Trojans' depth chart is Jake Jensen. Jensen is in his redshirt junior season and plays third fiddle on Lincoln Riley's side. He'll be available just in case, for some reason, both Maiava and Moss need to take a breather.