USC Football: 5 Best QBs Trojans Will Face in 2015

USC has the tremendous boost this season of having an established weapon at quarterback in Cody Kessler. The senior was one of the nation's most efficient arms last season and will be primed for a huge year in Los Angeles.

But the other side of the ball could be troublesome for the Trojans' big title hopes in 2015. USC finished 118th in pass defense last season and gave up plenty of big plays to some of the Pac-12's best quarterbacks.

Some of those same stars will be back to test USC's defense this season, and the Trojans will need to see improvement from their secondary in order to take the next step as a strong contender.

As the preseason starts to wind down, let's take a look at several of those top quarterbacks on the USC schedule this year. These signal-callers were picked based on their experience, overall team quality and previous results against the Trojans.

5. Malik Zaire (Notre Dame)

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USC had virtually sealed its huge win over rival Notre Dame when Malik Zaire checked into the contest last season. However, the backup quarterback's performance off the bench was enough for him to start for the Irish in their bowl-game victory over LSU.

"Inserted by Brian Kelly after Everett Golson's first six drives ended with four punts and two turnovers, Zaire provided a much-needed spark to the Irish offense," Bleacher Report's Keith Arnold wrote after USC's victory over Notre Dame. "But Zaire's strong running and better-than-expected passing gave Kelly and the Irish's offensive staff an unexpected quarterback controversy in the final game of the regular season."

Now that Golson has transferred to Florida State, Zaire is the clear-cut No. 1 quarterback in South Bend. And when the Trojans visit the Irish in the middle of October, the athletic sophomore will already have gotten a few big games under his belt against the likes of Texas, Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Only time will tell how Zaire will look as a full-time starting quarterback instead of a heavily hyped backup. But his talents make him someone to pay close attention to in the buildup to USC's game against Notre Dame—especially on a team that has 17 returning starters around him.

4. Mike Bercovici (Arizona State)

Gus Ruelas/Associated Press

No other quarterback did as much damage to USC's defense last season than Mike Bercovici, who now takes over as the full-time starting quarterback at Arizona State.

Bercovici took over for an injured—and now departed—Taylor Kelly and lit up the Trojans for 510 yards and five touchdowns. Three of those scores came in the final four minutes of the game, including a 46-yard Hail Mary to Jaelen Strong as time expired.

This year, Bercovici won't have Strong to throw to when the Sun Devils host USC in late September. Arizona State must replace Strong and the injured Cameron Smith, who caught six touchdown passes last season from Bercovici and Kelly. 

The 10-win Sun Devils, winners of their last two meetings with USC, need to find players to step up at receiver in order to compete for the Pac-12 South again. But Todd Graham and his team are confident in their signal-caller, thanks in part to what Bercovici did in last year's upset over USC.

3. Jared Goff (California)

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Jared Goff might not be the best quarterback USC faces in 2015—but he's definitely going to be the one who will test the Trojans secondary the most.

Goff is an experienced leader of a pass-heavy Cal attack as he attempted at least 40 passes in all but two Pac-12 games last season. In a close 38-30 loss against USC, Goff went 29-for-46 passing for 279 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions.

All but one of his top receivers from last season return, and Goff will be behind an offensive line that returns three starters from the 2014 team that was one win away from bowl eligibility. Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com called Goff a potential Heisman candidate and noted how many people think he is the best quarterback in the entire conference.

USC's secondary had a tough time against some pass-heavier offenses in the Pac-12 last season, including the one from the Golden Bears. Goff will make sure he keeps the likes of Adoree' Jackson, Kevon Seymour and Leon McQuay busy all Halloween long in Berkeley. 

2. Anu Solomon (Arizona)

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

USC avoided a tough loss away from home last season at eventual Pac-12 South champion Arizona. The Trojans led by 15 points on two separate occasions before the Wildcats came charging back, only to lose 28-26 on a missed field goal.

Arizona quarterback Anu Solomon, who was in the middle of his true freshman season, played a huge role in the comeback that just fell short. He completed 43 of a ridiculous 72 passes for 395 yards and one touchdown in the Wildcats' first loss of the season. Now he has his sights set on a sophomore surge.

"I think Anu is poised for a big year," Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez said, per Adam Green of Arizona Sports. "And I think, obviously any coach will tell you that you can’t have success unless that guy plays pretty well—at any level—and Anu played pretty well last year and we expect him to play well again this year."

This season, Solomon has his top playmakers back in running back Nick Wilson and the receiver duo of Cayleb Jones and Samajie Grant. With a full preseason of preparation under his belt, he'll be one of the most dangerous signal-callers USC has to face in 2015.

1. Kevin Hogan (Stanford)

TONY AVELAR/Associated Press

Stanford's Kevin Hogan is the most experienced and successful quarterback in the Pac-12, heading into the 2015 season, and he'll get his third and final crack at beating USC this fall.

Last season, Hogan overcame a shaky two-interception performance against the Trojans in 2013 with an efficient effort in 2014. Hogan completed 22 of his 30 passes for 285 yards at home, but the Cardinal's woeful red-zone offense only got one touchdown—a rushing one—out of five trips.

Hogan will be armed with a veteran offense this season, as he is one of nine returning starters for the Stanford attack. That number includes senior wide receiver Devon Cajuste, who caught six touchdown passes last year and averaged 16.4 yards per reception.

While he has lost twice to USC, one can't deny Hogan's talent and experience in Stanford's offensive system. If the Cardinal players around him look more like the Pac-12 title-winning team of 2013 this fall, Hogan will definitely be the best test for the Trojans pass defense.

All stats courtesy of CFBStats.com.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.