USC football's quarterback room just lost a veteran

USC football's quarterback room in 2021 won't include veteran backup Matt Fink, who is going pro in something other than sports.

It's time to give a heartfelt salute to Matt Fink, who will not return to USC football for his extra season of eligibility.

The redshirt senior will instead finish up his education and move onto life as a professional outside of football, according to multiple reports.

So here's to Fink, the king of the YOLO Raid.

Trojan fans will always have great memories of his heroic performance against Utah in 2019. When Kedon Slovis was knocked out of the game early in the first quarter, Fink came in and torched the Utes with 351 yards and three touchdowns. His connection with Michael Pittman and his willingness to loft the long ball led USC to a 30-23 upset victory over the No. 10 team in the country.

It was thrilling to watch Fink leave it all on the field that night.

Where does this leave USC? Obviously Slovis is back but the Trojans will need to determine a new backup.

Candidate No. 1 is Mo Hasan, the Vanderbilt transfer whose profile mirrors Fink. He produced heroics has a backup as well. He also brings fire and mobility to the table. According to USCFootball.com, he has been given a scholarship for the coming season after missing 2020 with a leg injury. As the most veteran option, he's a safe one to pencil in.

BUY OR SELL: USC's quarteback room in 2021

Fink's departure will also open the door for either of USC's two freshman additions. Miller Moss and Jaxson Dart were both highly rated QBs in the class of 2021 and will be looking to climb the depth chart this spring.

Remember, Slovis surged through the competition as an unknown freshman and unexpectedly landed the backup job behind JT Daniels. It took less than a half of football before he was called into action.