Why Husan Longstreet must do things differently than most young QBs

4 days ago 2

It's the big news every USC football fan is waiting on: will elite quarterback prospect Husan Longstreet stay at USC for another season or will he transfer elsewhere?

Jayden Maiava stays

Longstreet's return became less likely when USC re-signed Jayden Maiava for the 2026 season, effectively blocking Longstreet's path to start. Having already sat on the bench for a full season, it would be difficult for a highly talented and competitive player like Longstreet to be willing to be a backup for likely another full season.

Kevin Longstreet goes

To make matters seem more grim for Trojan fans, Longstreet's brother Kevin announced on Monday that he is leaving the Trojans via the transfer portal. Kevin and Husan chose to attend USC together in 2025 so they could play together. If that's a priority for Husan, his decision may be intrinsically tied to his brother's.

Modern logic

The logic of the modern era suggests that Husan Longstreet should transfer. He could easily find a starting opportunity elsewhere on a nationally relevant team that is also in need of a cornerback like Kevin, and will offer him plenty of money.

But given the situation Husan Longstreet finds himself in at USC, he can't just treat this like any other young quarterback would. He needs to blaze a unique trail.

Here's why.

Playing with your brother is cool, but shouldn't be pursued 100% of the time

USC has featured a lot of siblings on its roster in the last several years. Zachariah and Zion Branch and King, Kaylon and Kayne Miller are the two most famous examples. The Trojans will also have Carrington Pierce joining his brother Christian Pierce on next year's roster.

The Trojans also know what it's like to see both brothers leave for the same school. The Branch bros both left for Georgia ahead of this past season.

Look, playing with your brother is a really cool opportunity. Family means a lot to me as I'm sure it does to these guys as well.

Every path is unique

But sometimes, because everyone is different and leading their own lives, family members need to pursue different paths. It's okay for Husan to stay even if Kevin has decided that USC is not a fit for him. Going to different schools doesn't mean that they love each other any less or their friendship will suffer, it just means they have to pursue different paths to further their football career.

It can't just be about starting immediately

Starting as soon as possible as a football quarterback at a high level has always been overrated. Time and time again we see top NFL and college quarterbacks flame out early because they received a starting opportunity before they were ready to handle it.

Malachi Nelson

Malachi Nelson is a great example of this. Nelson was an elite quarterback prospect at USC in 2023 who transferred to Boise State ahead of the 2024 season in hopes that he would start for the Broncos. He did not. Then, he transferred to UTEP this season and played poorly.

Experience is not always, or even typically, the best teacher for quarterbacks. You can't be so confident in your strengths as a QB and so impatient to prove yourself on the field that you ignore your weaknesses and need for development.

Husan could start for USC in 2026

I think the likelihood that Husan Longstreet beats Jayden Maiava for the starting job in Week 1 is very slim. Maiava would need to have a truly awful offseason, and Longstreet a truly great one, to force Lincoln Riley to make the bold move of benching Maiava to start Longstreet.

However, the possibility of Longstreet playing in, or even starting, games in 2026 isn't as unlikely as it seems.

Lincoln Riley needs to win in 2026, badly. If Maiava struggles in his first few games, he can't stubbornly stick with Jayden just because he likes him. Riley's job is on the line, and a college football playoff appearance could be on the line as well.

Short leash for Maiava

I think Maiava will have a much shorter leash in 2026 than he did in 2025, despite the fact that Maiava has an additional year of experience under his belt and proved a lot on the field this season.

Remember 2021 at Oklahoma. Spencer Rattler came into that season the odds-on favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, and he was benched in the Red River rivalry game in favor of a freshman by the name of Caleb Williams midway through the season. This kind of thing has happened on Lincoln Riley-led teams before.

Plus, if USC and Longstreet agree to use his redshirt on the 2025 season, even if Maiava plays well and is fully healthy for the entire 2026 season, Riley can use Longstreet more liberally in special packages near the end zone or when Longstreet's legs would come in handy, giving the Trojan offense a needed change of pace.

Lincoln Riley also rewards loyalty

Quarterbacks that wait their turn at USC get their shot at USC. This was clearly seen when Maiava's predecessor, Miller Moss, was given the starting job for the first half of the 2024 season. Moss was an elite QB recruit in the Clay Helton era who stuck with Riley after Helton was fired and sat behind Caleb Williams for two seasons, meaning he sat on the bench for three total seasons at USC.

We'll never know if Lincoln Riley genuinely thought Moss was better than Maiava at the start of the 2024 season but we do know that Moss got his shot. If Longstreet stays and keeps working hard, there is absolutely no chance he doesn't start in 2026. I would be absolutely floored if anyone other than Husan Longstreet is USC's starter in 2026 if he remains on the roster in 2025.

That's just not how Lincoln Riley operates.

The future at USC is worth Longstreet's investment, but he can still abandon ship if it all blows up

Husan Longstreet seems to be at USC at a great time. Chad Bowden is helping the Trojans nail all three phases of recruiting; there's so much young talent on this team for Longstreet to develop alongside. The freshman superstars may not be ready to be stars in 2026, but by 2027, this roster should really, really be loaded.

There's a future there for Longstreet to believe in. But let's say, for arguments sake, that things don't go to plan. USC goes 8-5 in 2026, Lincoln Riley is fired and top talent leaves en masse.

If Longstreet uses his redshirt for the 2025 season, that would still leave him three seasons of eligibility remaining after 2026. He could follow Lincoln Riley to whatever new school he ends up at, try to prove himself to USC's new coach, or start over completely with a new staff and new team with basically his whole career ahead of him.

There's no sunk cost fallacy for Longstreet if he sticks around this year.

The bottom line

I believe that Husan Longstreet is a special QB prospect. He certainly showed flashes of brilliance in his limited action this season.

Players often think "believing in yourself" means transferring to a different school where you can get more playing time. I think that's a limited view of what self-confidence actually is.

The meaning of confidence

Staying at USC would show that Longstreet is confident that he made the right decision for his college development last year, even if it's not the right school for his brother. It would show that he's confident that he can help this team in 2026, in whatever role that may be. It would show that he's confident that he can push Jayden Maiava for a starting opportunity. It would show that he's confident that even if he spends a year of eligibility on the bench, he can still develop into an NFL star with what he has left.

Husan, you don't need a guaranteed starting role in 2026 to be great. What you, and every player, needs to do is trust the process. Greatness takes work day in and day out.

Remain confident in your future and put in the work at USC, even if you don't know what 2026 holds. I bet you'll be rewarded for it big time in the future.

And if you aren't, there's always next year to start over.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Husan Longstreet considers leaving USC after brother Kevin transfers

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