USC added its second quarterback among the top 40 recruits in the 2021 class Monday when ESPN 300 QB Miller Moss announced his commitment to the Trojans. Moss is the No. 37-ranked prospect overall and chose USC over Alabama, LSU and UCLA.
He's a 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback from Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California, and is now joining ESPN 300 quarterback Jake Garcia, the No. 19-ranked recruit overall, in this USC class.
Moss said despite Garcia being committed, he was fully comfortable going in and competing for the starting spot.
"The quarterback position is predicated on competition," Moss said. "So that's something I look forward to and excited to go get down to USC and start competing."
He had offers from nearly every major program and is the No. 6-ranked pocket passer in the class. Staying in Los Angeles was important to him, and Moss felt as though USC offered him everything he was looking for in a school and a football program.
"USC just seemed to encompass all of those more so than the other schools. I feel like USC offers unique things in terms of network in Los Angeles," Moss said. "I also had an emotional connection to the school growing up, but there are also a lot of practical reasons like the depth chart going into the quarterback room and getting the opportunity to play for Coach [Graham] Harrell. So, it was really a combination of things that the school and program had to offer that led to me choosing USC."
Offensive coordinator Harrell being retained by USC earlier in the year had a big impact on Moss, and the connection he built with Harrell throughout his recruitment helped USC beat out the other schools involved.
"He was essential in my recruitment. I think the fact that he played the quarterback position and had so much success doing so makes him really attractive to a quarterback being coached by him," Moss said. "I think there are certain things you can't really understand about this position unless you play it. Being coached by someone that's been there and had the success he's had is really special. The numbers his offenses put up really speaks for itself."
With this commitment, the Trojans now have seven ESPN 300 commits in the class, five of whom are from the state of California. The staff was able to land only one ESPN 300 commit from California in the 2020 cycle and has been emphasizing taking back the West and keeping prospects home.
Moss heard that message from the USC coaches and thought the opportunity to stay home and potentially live in Los Angeles for the rest of his life was something he didn't want to pass up.
"The idea that I get to take the guys I grew up playing with and go to USC and do something special was really attractive to me throughout the process," Moss said. "Playing quarterback at USC, it's one of the best ways to build your network for life after ball. It was a really attractive place for me in terms of situation, life after ball and the emotional connection I have being a USC fan and watching them win all those Rose Bowls and national championships."