Standout freshman quarterback Husan Longstreet,  a former five-star recruit who saw limited playtime behind starter redshirt junior quarterback Jayden Maiava during his redshirt season, entered the transfer portal, he announced on his Instagram story Thursday evening.

Longstreet was the No. 4 quarterback and the No. 32 overall player in his recruiting class, according to 247 Sports. His status as a Corona native made him an even more important signing for Head Coach Lincoln Riley, who had been criticized for his perceived lack of emphasis on local recruiting strategy ahead of Longstreet’s commitment and the 20 in-state recruits in this year’s consensus No. 1 overall class.

“As a hometown kid, representing USC was an incredible opportunity I’ll always cherish,” Longstreet wrote on his Instagram story. “I’m excited for what’s ahead and ready to embrace the next opportunity with faith, purpose, and gratitude.”

After sitting behind Maiava all season and only seeing the field in four games, Longstreet likely didn’t want to spend a second year, and his first year of eligibility, behind USC’s star quarterback. Had Maiava declared for the NFL Draft, which was widely speculated before he announced his return to the Trojans on Dec. 16, Longstreet would have been USC’s presumed starter. Had Longstreet stayed, It is also likely he would have assumed the starting role in his redshirt sophomore year, once Maiava’s eligibility runs out.

Longstreet especially shone in USC’s first two games of the season, nonconference bouts that saw extended play from the freshman due to lopsided scores. He completed 13-of-15 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown to go along with 60 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in those two games. Longstreet later rushed once each in USC’s losses to Illinois and Notre Dame. 

When asked in late November about the potential of Longstreet transferring, Riley acknowledged the difficulty of his decision, but called the freshman’s first year with the program “valuable” and cautioned against his leaving the program.

“We understand that sometimes people have patience, [and] sometimes they don’t,” Riley said in a post-practice news conference Nov. 25. “I don’t know if this would be the right time to leave this place. This thing’s getting pretty good.”