List of USC Trojans starting quarterbacks

The following individuals have started games at the quarterback position for the USC Trojans football team, updated from 1975 through November 15, 2025. Inductees into the College Football Hall of Fame are designated alongside the player's final season. Players who had taken a redshirt season are designated ().

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Year	Name	Class	First career start	Number of starts	Record as starter	Awards/honors	References
2025	Jayden Maiava	Jr.		10	8–2		[1]
2024	Miller Moss	Jr.		9	4–5		[2]
	Jayden Maiava	So.	November 16	4	3–1		[1]
2023	Caleb Williams	Jr.		12	7–5		[3]
	Miller Moss	So.	December 27	1	1–0	Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP	[2]
2022	Caleb Williams	So.	September 3	13	11–2	Heisman; Maxwell Award; Walter Camp Award; Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year; All-Pac-12 First Team; AP Player of the Year	[4]
2021	Kedon Slovis	Jr.		9	4–5		[5]
	Jaxson Dart	Fr.	November 20	3	0–3
2020	Kedon Slovis	So.		6	5–1	All-Pac-12 First Team	[6]
2019	JT Daniels	So.		1	1–0		[7]
	Kedon Slovis	Fr.	September 7	11	7–4	Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year; All-Pac-12 Team Honorable Mention
	Matt Fink	Jr.	September 28	1	0–1
2018	JT Daniels	Fr.	September 1	11	5–6		[8]
	Jack Sears	Fr.	October 27	1	0–1
2017	Sam Darnold	So.		14	11–3	All-Pac-12 First Team; Pac-12 Championship Game MVP	[9]
2016	Sam Darnold	Fr	September 23	10	9–1	Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year; All-Pac-12 Team Honorable Mention; Rose Bowl Offensive MVP	[10]
	Max Browne	Jr.	September 3	3	1–2
2015	Cody Kessler	Sr.		13	8–5		[11]
2014	Cody Kessler	Jr.		13	9–4	Holiday Bowl Offensive MVP	[12]
2013	Cody Kessler	So.	August 29	14	10–4		[13]
2012	Matt Barkley	Sr.		11	7–4	Wuerffel Trophy	[14]
	Max Wittek	Fr.	November 24	2	0–2
2011	Matt Barkley	Jr.		12	10–2	All-Pac-12 Second Team	[15]
2010	Matt Barkley	So.		12	8–4
	Mitch Mustain	Sr.	November 27	1	0–1		[16]
2009	Matt Barkley	Fr.	September 5	12	9–3
	Aaron Corp	So.	September 19	1	0–1		[17]
2008	Mark Sanchez	Jr.		13	12–1	All-Pac-10 First Team; Rose Bowl MVP	[18]
2007	John David Booty	Sr.		10	9–1	Rose Bowl MVP
	Mark Sanchez	So.	October 13	3	2–1		[19]
2006	John David Booty	Jr.	September 2	13	11–2	All-Pac-10 First Team	[20]
2005	Matt Leinart	Sr.		13	12–1	Unitas; All-Pac-10 First Team; College Football Hall of Fame (2017)	[21]
2004	Matt Leinart	Jr.		13	13–0	Heisman; Consensus All-American; Co-Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year; All-Pac-10 First Team; Walter Camp Award; AP Player of the Year; Manning Award; Orange Bowl MVP	[22]
2003	Matt Leinart	So.	August 30	13	12–1	Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year; All-Pac-10 First Team; Rose Bowl MVP	[23]
2002	Carson Palmer	Sr.		13	11–2	Heisman; Unitas; Consensus All-American; Co-Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year; All-Pac-10 First Team; Sporting News College Football Player of the Year; Orange Bowl MVP; College Football Hall of Fame (2021)	[24]
2001	Carson Palmer	Jr.		12	6–6		[25]
2000	Carson Palmer	So.		12	5–7		[26]
1999	Carson Palmer	So.		3	2–1		[27]
	Mike Van Raaphorst	Jr.		5	1–4
	John Fox	Sr.		4	3–1
1998	Carson Palmer	Fr.	October 31	5	3–2		[28]
	Mike Van Raaphorst	So.		8	5–3
1997	John Fox	So.	September 6	9	5–4		[29]
	Mike Van Raaphorst	Fr.	November 1	2	1–1
1996	Brad Otton	Sr.		12	6–6		[30]
1995	Brad Otton	Jr.		10	8–1–1		[31]
	Kyle Wachholtz	Sr.	November 11	2	1–1
1994	Rob Johnson	Sr.		10	6–3–1		[32]
	Brad Otton	So.	October 8	2	2–0
1993	Rob Johnson	Jr.		13	8–5	All-Pac-10 First Team	[33]
1992	Rob Johnson	So.		12	6–5–1		[34]
1991	Reggie Perry	So.	September 2	10	3–7		[35]
	Rob Johnson	Fr.	November 16	1	0–1
1990	Todd Marinovich	So.		11	7–4		[36]
	Shane Foley	Sr.	October 27	2	1–0–1
1989	Todd Marinovich	Fr.	September 4	12	9–2–1	All-Pac-10 First Team	[37]
1988	Rodney Peete	Sr.		12	10–2	Unitas; Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year; All-Pac-10 First Team	[38]
1987	Rodney Peete	Jr.		12	8–4		[39]
1986	Rodney Peete	So.		12	7–5	All-Pac-10 Second Team	[40]
1985	Rodney Peete	Fr.	November 16	4	2–2		[41]
	Sean Salisbury	Sr.		8	4–4
1984	Tim Green	Sr.	October 6	9	7–2	Rose Bowl Co-MVP	[42]
	Kevin McLean	Fr.	September 29	1	0–1
	Sean Salisbury	Sr.		2	2–0
1983	Sean Salisbury	Jr.		11	4–6–1
1982	Scott Tinsley	Sr.		4	3–1		[43]
	Sean Salisbury	So.	September 11	7	5–2
1981	John Mazur	Fr.	September 5	12	9–3
1980	Gordon Adams	Sr.	September 13	9	7–1–1		[44]
	Scott Tinsley	So.	November 22	2	1–1
1979	Paul McDonald	Sr.		12	11–0–1	All-Pac-10 First Team
1978	Paul McDonald	Jr.	September 9	12	11–1
	Rob Preston	Jr.	December 2	1	1–0
1977	Rob Hertel	Sr.		12	8–4
1976	Vince Evans	Sr.		12	11–1	Rose Bowl MVP
1975	Vince Evans	Jr.	?	8	4–4
	Mike Sanford	So.	November 15	1	0–1
	Rob Hertel	So.	October 4	3	3–0

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