Unexpectedly, former five-star quarterback Sam Huard is staying at USC despite not being guaranteed a starting role. Lincoln Riley deserves a huge amount of credit for whatever stunt he pulled to retain the veteran, who has had stints with three other programs. At the spring practice, Huard revealed exactly what he found impressive about the USC Trojans.

“I’ve been around a lot of great coaches throughout my college journey thus far,” Huard said during an interview on the USCAthletic YouTube channel. “And I’m grateful because this is my first year being back in the same system for a second year. So, just a lot of familiarity, being able to come back out here on this practice field, go on the Coliseum again, having done that for a whole year already, I think has really been helpful for sure.

Huard’s college football career across four programs has yielded just 10 starts since 2021. The son of former Husky star Damon Huard and nephew of Brock Huard, Sam joined Washington with hype and expectations after breaking the state high school record for career passing yards. The five-star quarterback was a crown jewel of the Huskies’ 2021 class. However, a crowded depth chart and coaching turnover meant that he didn’t get any playing time at the program. It also didn’t help that Michael Penix Jr. came and took over the starting role. 

To get a starting QB role, Sam Huard had to move to an FCS team, as he joined his high school coach, Sheldon Cross, at Cal Poly. He showed glimpses of his potential, which earned him a jump to Utah, but an undisclosed injury again proved detrimental to his hopes of getting game time. Last January, Huard joined the Trojans to provide a solid veteran presence in the QB room, and he likes what he’s seeing from his fellow quarterbacks at Lincoln Riley’s program.

“I’ve been around a lot of freshman classes. This is by far the best I’ve seen, not just from a talent standpoint, but just from a maturity level. They all act like older guys; that’s just how mature they are. The level they’re playing at right now, it’s special,” Huard said. 

“It’s such a great mix with the young guys, and then, the older guys as well. I mean, seeing guys like Cory take a huge step this year, as not just a player but as a leader, having Terrell come transfer in, Zach taking another step. There’s a lot of depth in the room, which is awesome. There are a lot of good players, and they’re just competing and getting better every day, and they make our job easy out here. The future is bright for this class, and we’re really excited for the season.

Experience is maturity for the former Huskies freshman, as he was calm and collected throughout the interview. His composure was no different when he was asked about four-star freshman Jonas Williams. He lauded Williams for his maturity and hard work in training, and he foresaw a bright future for him with the Trojans. This is despite the stiff competition between the pair, who will vie for backup roles in the quarterback room alongside starter Jayden Maiava.

What 2026 holds for Sam Huard as Jayden Maiava’s backup

2026 will be another year of Huard deputizing for Maiava, who is ranked No. 3 among Big 10 quarterbacks by CBS’s Tom Fornelli, after throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. Huard seemed to have spent his final season of eligibility last year until he was revealed to have an additional season, per the Los Angeles Times’ Ryan Kartje.

“USC redshirt senior quarterback Sam Huard actually has an additional season of eligibility—his sixth—and will give the Trojans a third capable scholarship QB in 2026, with Husan Longstreet in the portal. Huard was granted a waiver at a prior school.”

However, there is the possibility that Huard is rewarded with the No. 2 QB role in his final season. Huard is very comfortable at USC and ready for whatever 2026 has in store for him. Since the year began with a rare occurrence of his staying another year with a program, it could as well be a rare, brilliant season for him.