USC QB Miller Moss' draft stock continues to rise amid stellar play

Although the pass protection the USC offensive line provided was less than stellar, Moss completed 30 passes for 308 yards and three TDs. He regularly took hits, but his performance did not waver, and his teammates took note:

"He's a very tough person," said running back Woody Marks. "Anytime he gets knocked down he gets right back up, no matter what. I think that’s the mentality you have to have. He's the leader of this team by being the quarterback. He’s the vocal leader on and off the field."

Similarly, coach Lincoln Riley commented on Moss' toughness: "Miller has been a tough player for us. He takes some shots knowing that’s the right thing to do to make the throw..."

Moss also ran for a critical touchdown against the Badgers in the fourth quarter, giving the Trojans a two-score lead they never relinquished. Moss helicoptered into the end zone spectacularly on the TD run, taking a brutal, awkward hit from a Badgers defender. 

"Man, that was super cool," said USC wide receiver Duce Robinson, who caught an eight-yard TD pass from Moss in the third quarter. "Obviously, you know how good of an athlete Miller is, but honestly, I didn't even know he had that in the bag. It was a super gutsy play, super gutsy performance."

As a redshirt junior, Moss can play the 2025 season at USC or enter the 2025 NFL Draft, and his draft stock is rising. 

He is among the top prospects in Mel Kiper Jr.'s top 10 QBs for the upcoming draft.

In reputable mock drafts, Moss is a 2025 first-round selection. For example, in a recent mock draft by CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso, Moss goes No. 3 overall.

Southern Cal next faces the Minnesota Golden Gophers in Minneapolis on Oct. 5. Speaking to journalists about the matchup, Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck was effusively complimentary of Moss: "He's agile, he can move, he can run. You can tell that he is a football player first and a quarterback second. He loves the game and he makes everybody else around him better."