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 2024. 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 ().

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