Sam Huard Commits to USC in Transfer Portal; Former 5-Star QB Spent 2024 with Utah

Sam Huard's fourth school will be USC.

On Monday, Connor Morrissette of 247Sports reported the quarterback elected to transfer to the Trojans for the 2025 college football season. Huard started his collegiate career at Washington before going to Cal Poly and Utah prior to his decision to head to the Big Ten.

Since he missed the 2024 campaign with the Utes after undergoing surgery for an undisclosed injury, he still has two years of eligibility remaining.

USC was a natural choice, as he is the nephew of Trojans quarterbacks coach Luke Huard and will have the opportunity to work with head coach Lincoln Riley, who is known for his work with signal-callers.

However, don't expect Huard to play much.

Morrissette projected him to take over the third-string role for the Trojans after Jake Jensen transferred to Montana. Jayden Maiava is the projected starter, while highly regarded freshman Husan Longstreet is the projected backup.

Longstreet is a 4-star prospect and the No. 4 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

It wasn't that long ago Huard was seen as a can't-miss recruit. According to 247Sports' composite rankings, he was a 5-star prospect and the No. 3 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, which put him behind only Caleb Williams and Quinn Ewers.

Williams played under Riley at Oklahoma and USC and is now the quarterback of the Chicago Bears after he was the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft, while Ewers has the Texas Longhorns two wins away from the College Football Playoff national championship.

As for Huard, he appeared in five total games for Washington during his first two seasons and attempted just 44 combined passes. He then went to Cal Poly for the 2023 campaign, where he threw for 2,205 yards, 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for a 3-8 team.

While he hasn't lived up to expectations at the collegiate level, he will now have a chance to further develop by working with Riley and his uncle for a marquee program looking to bounce back from a 7-6 season.