USC’s Miller Moss waited patiently for his shot. Now he has it.

MILLER MOSS WAS driving again to Los Angeles from San Diego on Dec. 28 when his telephone rang. It was Lincoln Riley.

The 12 hours earlier than that decision could not have gone a lot better for Moss. After spending three years as USC’s backup quarterback — two in Caleb Williams’ shadow — and solely trying 59 passes, Moss was lastly given the prospect to take middle stage with the NFL-bound Williams opting out of the 2023 DIRECTV Vacation Bowl. Moss did not simply benefit from his first-ever school begin — he made historical past. The Los Angeles native threw for 372 yards on 33 makes an attempt and a USC bowl document six touchdowns whereas main the Trojans to a 42-28 season-ending win.

“I actually simply needed to play freely going into that recreation,” Moss instructed ESPN final month. “I did not wish to have any regrets. No matter occurred, I needed to go on the market and let it rip.”

Adopting that mindset wasn’t simple for Moss. The season was not technically over but and, within the lead-up to the bowl recreation, there have been already loads of rumors about which quarterback USC could be taking within the switch portal with a purpose to change Williams.

“I might be mendacity if I mentioned it wasn’t troublesome to filter that out and simply deal with the sport,” Moss mentioned. “And I instructed Lincoln and Kliff [Kingsbury] that.”

Just some weeks earlier than, Riley had stood in entrance of a microphone after early signing day and instructed the assembled media that this system would doubtlessly be wanting so as to add not only one, however two quarterbacks from the switch portal. After the Vacation Bowl, nevertheless, Riley’s outlook on USC’s quarterback room appeared to vary. That is when he referred to as Moss.

“He was like, ‘Hey, nice job. I simply wish to let you recognize we’re not going to take an older switch,'” Moss mentioned. “I believe Lincoln actually needed to see me play after which was going to decide as a result of I believe he needed to see if what occurred within the recreation confirmed his apply analysis.”

Moss is effectively conscious Riley’s name didn’t imply the quarterback place at USC is routinely his, however it got here with some validation Moss had been ready for his complete school profession.

Moss had many doubts throughout his first three years in school. He had conversations about transferring to a program the place he might play straight away. However in the long run, he would at all times resolve to stay at USC. Within the age of the portal, Moss’s story is a rarity. He stayed, developed, and it paid off.

Forward of USC’s spring recreation, Moss — who nonetheless has two years of eligibility left — remains to be relishing the Vacation Bowl efficiency whereas attempting to make sure it’s only the start of his time because the Trojans starter. “It was one of many biggest emotions of my life however I felt like I had lived that second so many occasions in my head already” Moss mentioned. “I had visualized that second in my head of me having the ability to present the world that I can do that.”

TWELVE YEARS AGO, a 10-year-old Moss discovered himself in a peculiar place: contained in the Oct. 15 concern of The New Yorker.

The article by Ben McGrath titled “Head Begin”, targeted on longtime quarterback guru Steve Clarkson and the event of soccer gamers — particularly quarterbacks — from very younger ages. Although Moss’s household was not athletically inclined, Moss had taken an ideal curiosity in soccer from a younger age, and he began taking part in in Clarkson’s spring soccer league for toddlers.

Miller’s father, Eric Moss, is quoted within the piece discussing how his son’s upbringing wasn’t instantly targeted on sports activities however reasonably on utilizing his pursuits outdoors the game to create a extra holistic strategy to improvement.

“I actually assume numerous that is an accident,” Eric mentioned within the story. “No matter you place in entrance of him he sort of likes.”

Eric knew from an early age his son gravitated towards actions that stimulated his mind. On the time of the New Yorker piece, Eric already had Miller concerned in writing camps, math competitions and chess. Miller additionally drew soccer performs on his laptop computer, only for enjoyable. In Miller’s elementary college yearbook, which included the standard “What do you wish to be if you develop up?” query, Miller had mentioned “Secretary of State.” By highschool, the reply had advanced to “President.”

“I believe he’s an uncommon child for a soccer participant and an uncommon soccer participant for a child,” Eric mentioned in an interview with ESPN final month. “I believe he is a tactician and a strategist, however he’s additionally self-effacing and has the power to deliver individuals collectively.”

As Miller’s mother, Emily Kovner Moss, explains, the household was not oriented round creating and defending a high-level athlete. Rising up, Miller would grow to be fixated on sure issues — Greek mythology, house journey, drawing or basketball — and his dad and mom would not pull him away to deal with soccer.

“He could be fairly obsessive about issues and actually pursue them,” Emily mentioned. “We’ve so many books on Greek gods and goddesses and airplanes and rocket ships from these days.”

Ultimately, although, soccer was what caught — extra particularly, the dream of being USC’s beginning quarterback. Although Moss’s upbringing did not happen in an atmosphere the place there was strain to carry out, he nonetheless cared each time he went out on the soccer subject. Or, within the case of his first few years at USC, when he needed to stand and watch from the sidelines. “There have been clearly moments that had been irritating,” Eric mentioned.

“There have been folks that instructed me ‘What are you doing?'” Moss mentioned. “Even individuals on our personal crew being like, ‘Hey man, you would play, go play different locations.'”

Through the shortened 2021 season, Moss threw 13 passes. The 12 months after, 14. All of them got here in rubbish time.

“I expressed that to my household: this sucks. It is not enjoyable,” Moss mentioned. “It is troublesome watching movie of opponents and I am considering, I do know I can do that. It undoubtedly examined my endurance.”

The 2022 Pac-12 championship recreation was all-time low. Needing a win to all however assure a spot within the School Soccer Playoff, USC was trailing Utah within the second half and Williams had damage his hamstring however stayed within the recreation. In keeping with Moss, coaches instructed him to get warmed up. However the second by no means got here. Williams stayed on the sector and after scoring 17 factors within the first half, the Trojans’ offense solely scored seven factors within the second half and misplaced to the Utes 47-24.

“Caleb is a hell of a competitor and earned the precise to remain within the recreation, and I can not say that if I used to be him in that place, I would not have accomplished the identical factor,” Moss mentioned. “However that awkward backwards and forwards of ‘Am I going to go in or not?’ was irritating. It was disheartening as a result of I walked away from that questioning Lincoln’s perception in me.” Moss communicated his frustrations to Riley and requested about his place on the crew. If the teaching workers did not belief him, Moss wanted to know so he might transfer on along with his school profession elsewhere.

“I at all times needed him to know as his mother that you just at all times have a alternative, you’re by no means caught someplace,” Emily mentioned. “I at all times needed him to know that he had company. And naturally, if you’re emotionally linked to one thing, it is harder to train that company. On the similar time, when you might have an emotional connection, you are extra invested and you’re employed that a lot tougher and it means that rather more.”

It wasn’t nearly soccer. Moss’s complete life is at USC. He likes being a school pupil. USC is linked to not simply Moss’s soccer profession, however his schooling and desires past the game. That made it simpler to push away the concept of transferring.

“What was onerous about it’s that he loves USC,” Emily mentioned. “He is so devoted to it, devoted to it in each method, athletically, academically, socially. Prefer it’s in his soul.” Moss has already earned a bachelor’s diploma in Legislation, Historical past and Tradition with a minor in Enterprise Finance and is presently pursuing his grasp’s diploma in Social Entrepreneurship.

“Him staying at USC this complete time has been painted as an allegiance to this system and faculty, which is true,” Eric mentioned. “However I additionally assume it has one thing to do along with his sense of himself … He’s genuinely linked on campus, it is not only a means to an finish. He has his associates on campus, his girlfriend, the soccer guys and, this will likely sound odd, however he is really a school pupil in a group that is larger than the soccer crew.”

That is why when Riley assured Moss that the Pac-12 championship scenario was not a mirrored image on him or his skills, it was simple to consider the coach. That was sufficient to persuade Moss to commit to a different 12 months at USC. In 2023, Williams would nonetheless be underneath middle, however Moss’s alternative was getting nearer.

LAST YEAR, MOSS’S season took on a unique tone. He knew that he would spend most of his time on the sidelines. However he knew he was just a few months away from getting his shot. He did not even give the switch portal a thought.

“Coming into USC I used to be most likely fairly naive considering I might play so much,” Moss mentioned. “I believe one factor that I needed to be taught early on in school is there is a bunch of various paths to success.”

Regardless of the low factors and the dearth of taking part in time, Moss remained engaged and established himself as an emotional chief who competed in apply and invested within the youthful extensive receivers. Getting a begin within the Vacation Bowl was, in some methods, a end result of Moss’s journey. However after 60 minutes and 6 touchdowns, it grew to become a showcase that vindicated Moss’s endurance and jumpstarted the following a part of his profession.

“It was a magical evening. It was greater than I might have dreamed of,” Emily mentioned. “The battle was fought for thus lengthy and he had actually earned it, and that made it all of the extra fulfilling, However it’s a part of a journey that has had ebbs and flows, so it is not the tip of one thing, it is the continuation.”

For the reason that Vacation Bowl, USC did add a quarterback within the first switch portal window, however it was not a multi-year starter with expertise. As an alternative, they added UNLV’s Jayden Maiava — a rising sophomore with loads of potential coming off a 3,000-yard season. Riley has remained constant in saying that the place is up for grabs.

“After the way in which Miller performed within the bowl recreation, and never simply the way in which he performed that evening, however the way in which he dealt with these six weeks of apply, we felt extraordinarily assured in him and we actually felt like there was not a lot of a necessity to essentially pursue anyone that was older,” Riley mentioned. “We will let these two guys duke it out.”

Moss hasn’t let that deter him. He spent the offseason watching documentaries about profitable sports activities groups just like the Tom Brady-Invoice Belichick New England Patriots and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls and has tried to absorb information about main a crew. He is organized crew outings and throwing periods down in Huntington Seaside, too. The inspiration Moss constructed as a backup and the work he is accomplished since has been seen by his teammates.

“I really feel like his expertise has at all times been there,” sophomore extensive receiver Zachariah Department mentioned. “He has a very good arm, nice confidence and he can learn the scheme of defenses as effectively, however his management undoubtedly has grown.”

Even when it seems that Moss’s transition from backup to chief occurred in a single day, he and people round him know that it hasn’t.

“These are at all times roles he is at all times been drawn to, and that he is at all times had in colleges, within the classroom on groups,” Emily mentioned. “So it is not like, oh, abruptly I’m the chief of this crew. It is a 22-year mission within the making, whether or not it is in an athletic discussion board, a tutorial one, an inventive one.”

Soccer is perhaps on the forefront of Moss’s thoughts at this second. However as Eric places it — nearly echoing the quotes he as soon as gave to The New Yorker — the final three years have proven this journey is about much more than that. Possibly “Secretary of State” and “President” have been changed with “NFL quarterback,” however Moss’s expertise at USC to date has been as instructive to his profession as any time on the sector going ahead shall be.

“In the event you’re the SC quarterback, everybody has an opinion on you,” Eric mentioned. “To persevere in that context, he is demonstrated he can try this. And that inside confidence, I believe, is an actual high quality for Miller that may assist him in numerous methods when soccer is historical past and he is doing one thing else.” The expertise he is gone by way of has not solely allowed Miller to stay to his plan within the face of adversity, however it’s additionally made him extra well-prepared than ever to step into the demanding position this season will ask of him.

“In my thoughts,” Miller mentioned, “I’ve lived each day of the previous two years making ready for this.”