USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling USC quarterback Sam Darnold
Today, we look at a Trojan who recently became the first ever USC quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl
The countdown to the USC football season continues as the Trojans prepare to take the field for their 2026 opener on August 29 against San Jose State. In this installment, we're taking a look back at one of the notable quarterbacks to wear the USC jersey - Sam Darnold.
Darnold joined the USC program in 2015, redshirting his first year. He spent the first three games of the 2016 season as the backup to Max Browne. It wasn't until the Trojans were on a 1-2 start that head coach Clay Helton opted to start Darnold. Though USC lost that opening game against Utah, Darnold went on to remain the starter for the remainder of the season, leading the team to a nine-game winning streak that included a 52-49 Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.
During the 2017 season, Darnold not only helped guide USC to its first conference title in nine years, but also earned first-team all-Pac-12 honors and became the first USC quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a single season. However, the season ended on a disappointing note with a 24-7 loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
After his college career, Darnold was selected third overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. Despite his promising start, he struggled in his early years in the league before having a breakthrough season with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024, throwing for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. Darnold then signed with the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, where he continued his strong performance, throwing for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Perhaps most notably, Darnold became the first USC quarterback to win a Super Bowl when he led Seattle to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
