USC backup quarterbacks Jaxson Dart, Miller Moss gaining confidence in fall camp
Ryan Kartje (LA Times) — Seventeen long months had passed since Miller Moss(6) last stepped into a huddle, but when he arrived at USC during the spring as one of two touted freshmen vying to emerge as the heir apparent to quarterback Kedon Slovis, Moss expected to pick up right where he left off in high school.
“I don’t think it was a realistic expectation,” the freshman realizes now.
Moss has never lacked confidence, but the long layoff from football left him feeling overwhelmed. Suddenly, everything was faster and more competitive. The transition proved to be a steeper learning curve than he expected. While Jaxson Dart, the Trojans’ other four-star freshman quarterback, turned heads with his big arm and big-play potential, Moss spent most of the spring just finding his footing.
The disparity was enough for some to quickly anoint Dart over his counterpart. But a few days into a critical fall camp that could determine the direction USC takes with its next quarterback, Moss appears to have closed that gap to some degree.
“I just keep feeling better and better,” Moss said.
That’s been clear on the field through four days of fall camp. Moss has looked much more comfortable and confident commanding the offense. After settling too often for check-downs in the spring, the freshman has taken more shots down the field as his confidence has grown.
Not all of those throws have been on target. On Tuesday, he laced a deep throw into coverage, but was bailed out by a jaw-dropping, one-handed snag from tight end Josh Falo. The fact that he trusted himself to make the throw suggested some measure of progress from spring.
“We want to throw completions, we want to take care of the football, but at the same time, we don’t want to be over-conservative,” offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. “So that’s something we’ve talked about with him, and he’s done a good job of taking that coaching and doing it.”
The summer, Moss said, made a major difference in that regard. During USC’s player-run practice periods, he felt free “to take chances and make mistakes.”
“I’ve definitely tried to be more aggressive,” Moss said. “I think there are plays that can go either way, and those are the ones on the borderline that I’ve tried to push and take different chances.”
For Dart, that approach has never been a problem. “My play style is pretty aggressive,” Dart said. “I kind of like to take risky chances here and there.”
After a dynamic spring, some of those risks have backfired through the first four days of fall camp. When they have, Harrell challenges Dart to quickly move past his mistakes.
“He talks about it like we have a gunslinger mentality,” Dart said. “So if I make a mistake, I just have to shake it off, try to make the next play better. Just try to play within myself.”
While Moss sat out his final high school season because of the pandemic, Dart excelled as a senior at Corner Canyon High in Draper, Utah, throwing for 67 touchdowns and rushing for 12 more on his way to National Gatorade Player of the Year honors.
The charmed season proved to be a perfect stepping stone into the spring, Dart said.
“I think it gave me a lot of confidence,” Dart said. “Everything kind of has played in my favor with just being a little bit more comfortable in this style of offense. I was lucky for sure at Corner Canyon because I just had such a strong foundation and a great core of players and bonds with kids. So I’m just going to try and carry that over.”
That advantage was clear in the spring, as Dart emerged as the favorite to earn the backup job behind Slovis, who remains entrenched as the starter. Neither freshman was eager to discuss the status of that battle Tuesday, but Dart admitted that the backup job was “for sure” on his mind during camp.
“My whole life, I’ve been able to be the guy,” Dart said. “We have a ton of competition in our room, and it’s great because it brings the best out of all of us. I have my goals, and I’m just going to keep pushing for them.”
Dart has a feeling he and Moss share one goal in particular — to be the future of USC football.
“He’s the Gatorade Player of the Year,” Moss said of Dart. “It’s not like I’m competing with some bum. But I think competition only makes you better. It’s been really cool. Some days I wish I hated Jaxson. It would make it easier. But he’s a really good dude.”
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Lane Kiffin spoke earlier today with Colin Cowherd about the massive, laughable, insurmountable (pick your adjective) difference between college football as played in the south versus the west. Kiffin: “You really don’t understand it until you get in it. It’s not just a different league. It’s like being in a completely different sport. You can utilize it in some really good ways too, like in the (Covid) vaccinations (OLE MISS is 100% vaxed). “If you get vaxed as the head coach of USC, you’re gonna have some impact. But if you do that as the head coach of OLE MISS,… Read more »
If he really feels that way why did he leave Tennessee for USC? It’s different in the south because football is primarily it, there aren’t many options that make you stand out.
Lane Kiffin is a west coast guy. As you know, he played at FRESNO ST. USC as a program has a lot more cache than TENN could ever muster up. Not even close between those two programs It was a no-brainer for him to take the USC job when his mentor, Pete Carroll, bolted. I’m sure Kiffin is very grateful he keeps getting all these head coaching jobs regardless of whatever owner or AD he is pissing off. Admit it. You were glad USC didn’t have to play ALA last season. I know I was. I didn’t need to see… Read more »
actually I would have loved to play Alabama, you can’t be the best unless you play the best. Wins against San Jose St and the likes mean nothing. I saw USC play head to head against Alabama the last time and for 2 qtrs have the edge until Jalen Hurts came in (which we weren’t prepared for).
Stepp, the USC transfer who now plays for Nebraska has made headlines during the early weeks of the Huskers camp.
That was no different when Stepp talked about the differences between the Trojans and Huskers offensive styles in a Wednesday press conference. The running back said he prefers Nebraska’s “gritty” offense vs. USC’s “pretty-boy” style, according to Jacob Padilla of Hail Varsity.
Agreed. But, he is simply being honest. All of us are taking shots at Helton led teams for exactly the same reason. He should have been polite and praised SC and express gratitude for being at NE. The truth is the SC teams he played for were very soft, undisciplined and and focused on finesse. As Allen correctly stated, SC is very much a mid major program, which is in decline.
I don’t know if NEB is even mid-major anymore. Are they? Talk about a fallen brand. The Huskers take the cake. Yet Stepp decided that was his true speed. Good luck Markese. Scott Frost may be the only CFB HC who is on a hotter seat than The Cat is. Frost is officially 12-20 at NEB and is routinely getting his brains beat in, while feebly trying to reinvent a program that has never gotten over disastrously moving to the Big Ten. Not only is NEB not a top 25 team, they didn’t get one single vote in the recently… Read more »
The Huskers truly stink. And yes, they have awesome fans. Respect for the game, win or lose. I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on the team plane in 2007 when USC beat the Huskers 49-31 in Lincoln — a College GameDay site that Saturday. What an exciting football mecca place on game day! Frost better pick up the pace fast. He seems to me like he’s already at the end of his rope, personally. He’s a Husker of course. But in Lincoln, he’s a huge loser so far, and no end seems in sight. It was a weird,… Read more »
I’ve only been to Lincoln once. It was in January. I went to a Creighton / Nebraska basketball game in Omaha, it was super fun. Also, it was the coldest place I’ve ever been and I cover Montana and Alaska for my job. It was 10 below with howling winds, brutal.
Clay The Cat Helton said that pass protection is the No. 1 thing he’s looking for from his offensive linemen this camp.
“We’re a 55-to-60-percent pass team,” Helton emphasized. “Pass protection is going to be key in that and being able to keep Kedon [Slovis] upright. He’s had two injuries over the past two years. As long as he’s standing upright and healthy, we’re in a good situation.”
Perhaps we all have been a tad harsh in criticizing the “new” SC offense as being too dependent on the pass. I noticed that a couple of new receivers stated that part of the reason they chose SC was because it was Receivers U.
Problem is that we all recall when SC was known as Tailback U the team was piling up National Championships.
Tailback U is a long ago memory. It seems the game has changed dramatically and the running back is now just a part of the offense. Sure do see it in the nfl draft.
When USC gets another great HC (yes, it will happen someday), the Trojans will learn how to run the ball again because they will start to reel in and develop better OLs overall, and another Heisman-type RB will sign on. Balance isn’t all that hard. Getting the right HC, and keeping him, definitely is.
So when the depth chart comes out just before the first game, Helton will be faced with one unhappy QB and the portal looming over him. Guess that is just football these days, nobody wants to hang around. Perhaps he should have shopped the portal for a backup type when Hassan went down, but the Cat knows what he is doing.
Thanks for that Petero, I never read anything about it. I did check the portal and they have no listing for a QB coming to USC at all. There is nobody named Costello on the USC roster.
I did and finally found him. Thanks guys for helping me out. He never did come up on the portal that I could find though. Now, is he any good and why has he been kept such a secret?
Lane Kiffin spoke earlier today with Colin Cowherd about the massive, laughable, insurmountable (pick your adjective) difference between college football as played in the south versus the west. Kiffin: “You really don’t understand it until you get in it. It’s not just a different league. It’s like being in a completely different sport. You can utilize it in some really good ways too, like in the (Covid) vaccinations (OLE MISS is 100% vaxed). “If you get vaxed as the head coach of USC, you’re gonna have some impact. But if you do that as the head coach of OLE MISS,… Read more »
If he really feels that way why did he leave Tennessee for USC? It’s different in the south because football is primarily it, there aren’t many options that make you stand out.
Lane Kiffin is a west coast guy. As you know, he played at FRESNO ST. USC as a program has a lot more cache than TENN could ever muster up. Not even close between those two programs It was a no-brainer for him to take the USC job when his mentor, Pete Carroll, bolted. I’m sure Kiffin is very grateful he keeps getting all these head coaching jobs regardless of whatever owner or AD he is pissing off. Admit it. You were glad USC didn’t have to play ALA last season. I know I was. I didn’t need to see… Read more »
actually I would have loved to play Alabama, you can’t be the best unless you play the best. Wins against San Jose St and the likes mean nothing. I saw USC play head to head against Alabama the last time and for 2 qtrs have the edge until Jalen Hurts came in (which we weren’t prepared for).
ALA beat USC by 50 points, and it wasn’t because USC, which hadn’t even figured out that Sam Darnold should be playing, was any good.
I’m sorry you didn’t get to see USC get slaughtered by #1 ALA last season. Better luck next time. ✌
indeed we got beat by 50 but we led at the end of the 1st and it wasn’t until Saban made the switch to Hurts that the game swung.
Actually, the game was over when Max Browne took the first snap for USC. He was scared out of his mind, poor guy.
Anybody could see that, and the entire USC team knew it.
You and I were obviously watching totally different games. That’s part of the fun of it all.
RB Markese Stepp (6-0, 230) prefers Nebraska’s ‘gritty’ style to USC’s ‘pretty-boy’ offense
Stepp, the USC transfer who now plays for Nebraska has made headlines during the early weeks of the Huskers camp.
That was no different when Stepp talked about the differences between the Trojans and Huskers offensive styles in a Wednesday press conference. The running back said he prefers Nebraska’s “gritty” offense vs. USC’s “pretty-boy” style, according to Jacob Padilla of Hail Varsity.
saturdaytradition.com
Why take shots at USC? Grow up kid.
Agreed. But, he is simply being honest. All of us are taking shots at Helton led teams for exactly the same reason. He should have been polite and praised SC and express gratitude for being at NE. The truth is the SC teams he played for were very soft, undisciplined and and focused on finesse. As Allen correctly stated, SC is very much a mid major program, which is in decline.
And we would beat Nebraska.
I don’t know if NEB is even mid-major anymore. Are they? Talk about a fallen brand. The Huskers take the cake. Yet Stepp decided that was his true speed. Good luck Markese. Scott Frost may be the only CFB HC who is on a hotter seat than The Cat is. Frost is officially 12-20 at NEB and is routinely getting his brains beat in, while feebly trying to reinvent a program that has never gotten over disastrously moving to the Big Ten. Not only is NEB not a top 25 team, they didn’t get one single vote in the recently… Read more »
After Tom Osborne they really left blue blood status. Callahan was a disaster. Pelini had them competitive. But after Bo they are just terrible.
The Huskers truly stink. And yes, they have awesome fans. Respect for the game, win or lose. I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on the team plane in 2007 when USC beat the Huskers 49-31 in Lincoln — a College GameDay site that Saturday. What an exciting football mecca place on game day! Frost better pick up the pace fast. He seems to me like he’s already at the end of his rope, personally. He’s a Husker of course. But in Lincoln, he’s a huge loser so far, and no end seems in sight. It was a weird,… Read more »
I’ve only been to Lincoln once. It was in January. I went to a Creighton / Nebraska basketball game in Omaha, it was super fun. Also, it was the coldest place I’ve ever been and I cover Montana and Alaska for my job. It was 10 below with howling winds, brutal.
Clay The Cat Helton said that pass protection is the No. 1 thing he’s looking for from his offensive linemen this camp.
“We’re a 55-to-60-percent pass team,” Helton emphasized. “Pass protection is going to be key in that and being able to keep Kedon [Slovis] upright. He’s had two injuries over the past two years. As long as he’s standing upright and healthy, we’re in a good situation.”
JR Longhorn transfer WR Jake Smith (6-0, 200; Scottsdale Notre Dame, AZ) is out for the 2021 season with a foot injury.
usctrojans.com
Well, that didn’t take long, did it?
Perhaps we all have been a tad harsh in criticizing the “new” SC offense as being too dependent on the pass. I noticed that a couple of new receivers stated that part of the reason they chose SC was because it was Receivers U.
Problem is that we all recall when SC was known as Tailback U the team was piling up National Championships.
Tailback U is a long ago memory. It seems the game has changed dramatically and the running back is now just a part of the offense. Sure do see it in the nfl draft.
SC has been getting top receivers for years now, it worked so well because we had a good mix of run/pass, now it’s pass, pass, pass, run! no balance!
When USC gets another great HC (yes, it will happen someday), the Trojans will learn how to run the ball again because they will start to reel in and develop better OLs overall, and another Heisman-type RB will sign on. Balance isn’t all that hard. Getting the right HC, and keeping him, definitely is.
I do t think USC can be considered loaded at QB. Especially with our O line.
So when the depth chart comes out just before the first game, Helton will be faced with one unhappy QB and the portal looming over him. Guess that is just football these days, nobody wants to hang around. Perhaps he should have shopped the portal for a backup type when Hassan went down, but the Cat knows what he is doing.
We did and got a pretty good one Bredon Costello
Thanks for that Petero, I never read anything about it. I did check the portal and they have no listing for a QB coming to USC at all. There is nobody named Costello on the USC roster.
Look again my friend,
Brendan Costello #29 QB Red shirt Sophomore
transfer from OK. State
I did and finally found him. Thanks guys for helping me out. He never did come up on the portal that I could find though. Now, is he any good and why has he been kept such a secret?