Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Husan Longstreet (4) carries the ball against the Missouri State Bears in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC Trojans Quarterback Husan Longstreet Shines in Collegiate Debut

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI
By Caden Handwork | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 2:01 PM ET

While the attention will be centered around Jayden Maiava as USC's starting quarterback this season, Trojans fans got a sneak peek of their team's potential future with Husan Longstreet on Saturday night. In USC's 73-13 dominating season opener win over Missouri State, Longstreet saw reps during the second half and was impressive in his debut.

This offseason, the freshman five-star quarterback out of Centennial High School won the backup quarterback job over Sam Huard. Entering the season opener, USC football coach Lincoln Riley had a backup quarterback with zero college experience for the first time in his Trojans tenure, and playing against Missouri State presented the perfect opportunity to give Longstreet playing time.

Longstreet's Impressive USC Debut

The Trojans led Missouri State 42-10 at halftime, a first half that featured Maiava leading the Trojans to touchdowns on five drives. Trojans' safety Bishop Fitzgerald also recorded a pick-six in the first half.

Longstreet started the entire second half for the Trojans and was perfect, throwing for 69 yards and one touchdown with a quarterback rating of 97.4 on 9-of-9 passing. He also showed his talent as a mobile quarterback rushing for 54 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.

"It was great to be able to get him some game reps and get that first one out of the way," Riley said.

Riley, Maiava Impressed with Longstreet's Reps In Second Half

Despite his impressive debut performance, Longstreet did show his youth and inexperience, losing a fumble on a sack, which resulted in the Trojans' lone turnover in the game. The one mistake, however, doesn't take away from the performance that both Longstreet and Maiava had in USC's season opener win.

"I thought both quarterbacks were really good," Riley said. "I thought Jayden laid the blueprint for how well he played in the first half, and Husan was pretty steady. Obviously, we want the fumble back, but he was pretty steady. He ran with the ball, and you see some of his athleticism with that. It was a good start for him."

Maiava expressed his excitement over Longstreet getting his first reps at quarterback for USC in the second half of Saturday night's game.

"I'm fired up for him," Maiava said. "I can't wait to see what he's got planned for the future. He has a bright future, obviously. He's athletic. I can't wait to see what he can do. I'm super happy for him."

USC will face off against the Georgia Southern Eagles next week at the Coliseum, a matchup that they will once again be heavily favored in. Could we see Longstreet in game action more next week?

This article first appeared on USC Trojans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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