When Hussein Longstreet arrived at USC a year ago there was anticipation five star freshman will be the future of the Trojans at the cornerback position.
But after just one season at USC, Longstreet is leaving.
True rookie and former prospect officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Thursday, calling into question the Trojans' future plans at the most important position in football. USC currently has just two quarterbacks on its roster, one of which is true freshman Jonas Williams.
However, there is no doubt about who will be USC's quarterback next season. Returning starter Jayden Maiava who led the Big Ten in passing yards last season (3,711), announced last month his intention to play another season at USC rather than declaring for the NFL Draft.
That left Longstreet with a choice: spend another season on the sidelines or look for opportunities elsewhere.
USC coach Lincoln Riley last month urged his young quarterback to be patient.
“For any player, especially a defenseman, I don’t know if now is the right time to leave,” Riley said. “This thing is getting pretty good. And I think a lot of people understand that, both in what we have now and in what we bring to where this thing is going.”
But Longstreet's father, Kevin, told On3 last month that his son was looking for an opportunity to contribute immediately.
“He loves USC, the team and the players, but he has no guarantees in life, and Husan is a competitor,” Kevin Longstreet told On3's Greg Biggins. “Everyone says, 'Wait another year, we only need one good year.' But there's no guarantee Lincoln will be back next year. What if we run into difficulties and new staff come in? Then he will have to learn a completely new system. He wants to play now and do his best.”
It wasn't until late in the recruiting process in November 2024 that USC even became a serious option for the Corona Centennial High product. He spent the previous seven months at Texas A&M while USC already had a 2026 quarterback in Julian Lewis.
But after a delicate dance of wooing both quarterbacks, USC turned to Longstreet and managed to lure him away from the Aggies. It was one of Riley's most significant recruiting victories for USC.
“The more we got to know him, evaluated him, the more we saw his mentality, how team-oriented he was, how serious he was about the game, and we just felt like at the end of the day there wasn't a better option for us,” Riley said on signing day in December 2024. “Ultimately, that's why we made the decisions we made. I feel like we found the perfect guy for us.”
Longstreet appeared in four games as a true freshman, preserving his redshirt year. He will have four more seasons of eligibility remaining wherever he ends up. He completed 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another 76 yards and two scores.
“As a hometown kid, representing USC was an incredible opportunity that I will always appreciate,” Longstreet said in an interview. statement on social networks. “I am excited about what lies ahead and ready to embrace the next opportunity with faith, commitment and gratitude.”
With Longstreet gone, USC is expected to pursue the veteran passer in the transfer portal to fill the third spot on its depth chart, similar to what Sam Huard did last season.
