Transfer Quarterback Husan Longstreet's Path to Playing Time At LSU

Husan Longstreet will be a LSU Tiger in 2026. It's an interesting move for Longstreet, who will now have to battle it out with a couple incoming LSU transfers, quarterback Sam Leavitt and Landen Clark.

Leavitt is projected to be the LSU starter in 2026 after being the starter for the Arizona State Sun Devils in 2024 and 2025. There has been a lot of turnover at LSU with the hiring of coach Lane Kiffin.

With Leavitt being brought in to be the starter in 2026, that means it will likely be another year of watching meaningful plays from the sideline for Longstreet. The path to playing time is to either wait out Leavitt and get to 2027, or earn the backup job in 2026. If Longstreet is the backup, he is either an injury away or Leavitt struggling from getting an opportunity for extended playing time with the Tigers.

Husan Longstreet's Short USC Career

Husan Longstreet was USC’s highest rated recruit in the class of 2025. Longstreet was rated as a five-star recruit per 247Sports and ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the class of 2025. Longstreet did not see the field much as a freshman, as he was the backup to USC starting quarterback Jayden Maiava. 

Longstreet appeared in four games, throwing passes in just two of them. He went 13/15 passing for 103 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions. Longstreet also had 11 carries for 76 yards and a touchdown. 

It appeared that there would be a chance that Maiava would declare for the NFL Draft, but he decided to return to school. With Maiava being the USC starter again in 2026, Longstreet would have been on the bench for a second straight season.

With Longstreet not playing in more than four games, he did keep his redshirt season in tact.

Lincoln Riley On Husan Longstreet

Lincoln Riley was asked by reporters late in the season on how he thought Longstreet was progressing. The Trojans' coach, who has had a long history of getting the most out of his quarterbacks' potential; such as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams, had this to say.

"He's improved a lot. This has been such a valuable year for him. To serve as a backup quarterback, to learn, to just be there and kind of see all these things transpire," Riley said. "These are just things you can't simulate. And it gives you an opportunity to watch these different situations, how they happen, be able to kind of go back, what would you do, how would you handle it?”