Husan Longstreet is running out of options — at least good ones

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

When former USC football quarterback Husan Longstreet announced he was entering the transfer portal I was disappointed. But as a consolation, I just hoped that he would be able to land an opportunity to start for a Power Four team.

At this point, that seems unlikely. Most of the QB-needy teams have found new starters, most of the top QBs in the portal have committed.

All of this means that Husan Longstreet’s choice to leave USC could end up looking very silly. Let’s talk about it.

LSU lands Sam Leavitt

The big news today is that former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt is headed to LSU to start for Lane Kiffin and the Tigers next season.

Leavitt was the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the portal according to 247 Sports. In 2024, he passed for 2,885 yards, 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, leading the Sun Devils to a Big 12 championship and the College Football Playoff.

All that to say, he’s going to start for the Tigers and is probably an immediate favorite to contend for the Heisman.

LSU also has Elon transfer Landen Clark in its QB room. The Tigers hosted Husan Longstreet for a visit, but if he transfers to LSU, he’s going to be in the same position he was at at USC: behind a clear starter. He may have even needed to compete for the backup job.

And, Leavitt will still have eligibility left after this season if he doesn’t declare for the NFL draft. Longstreet’s path to starting is tougher at LSU than it would have been at USC. He could still go there, but it would be a lateral move for his career.

Oregon gets Dylan Raiola AND could keep Dante Moore

The other big news today is that Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola is committing to Oregon. Apparently, he is willing to back up Dante Moore in 2026 if Moore does not declare for the NFL draft.

I think Husan Longstreet may have the talent to beat out Dylan Raiola on a depth chart, but Raiola has 2 years of Big Ten starting experience and likely is getting paid a significant amount to come to Oregon and be willing to sit behind Moore. Dan Lanning and the Oregon staff clearly believe in Raiola.

Oregon was another school that Longstreet was tied to. Again, this seems like a lateral move at best and if Dante Moore stays, Longstreet would likely be third-string at Oregon. Yikes!

Where is left for Longstreet to go at the P4 level?

I think, with so many schools already having recruited QBs, Husan Longstreet’s best hope is to compete for a starting QB job, I don’t think many P4 schools would hand him the job at this point. Maybe Longstreet wants to compete with Aaron Philo at Florida or Anthony Colandrea and TJ Lateef at Nebraska.

Maybe there’s an opening at Miami? Clemson? Tennessee? One of those schools is probably going to roll with Beau Pribula and each could roll with its current backups.

Is it time to give up and return to USC?

Honestly? This might be the best option. If no elite team is ready to hand Husan Longstreet the keys, just wait it out at USC another year. Longstreet would clearly be in line to start for the Trojans in 2026, and USC would surround him with elite talent and offensive coaching. If you’re going to sit and develop at a power program for another season, there’s no better place to do it than at SC.

It would take Longstreet swallowing his pride, saying “may bad” and asking the USC coaching staff and fanbase for forgiveness. But Trojan fans would welcome him back with open arms. We get it — it’s a business decision.

Is the Malachi Nelson route inevitable?

Last week, I pled with Husan Longstreet not to take the Malachi Nelson route. Nelson, the former Trojan quarterback and No. 1 recruit in the country, has bounced around from Boise State to UTEP, been unable to have any success in a starting role, and is now in the transfer portal again.

I really, really don’t want Longstreet to go to a smaller school just so he can likely play immediately. Look, I love some good Mountain West football, and now we get the Pac-12 back in 2026 as well. But Longstreet’s talent should be cultivated at one of the premiere programs in the country, not left to bounce around the Group of 5.

Longstreet, who is competitive and seemingly wants to play as soon as possible, may take this route just so he can play more football. I’d urge him to reconsider.

But whatever happens, we still hope for the best for Longstreet and anyone who has ever donned the Cardinal and Gold.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Former USC quarterback Husan Longstreet passed over for other QBs

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos