Former NFL All-Pro quarterback Philip Rivers is set to make the jump up from high school football to college football after accepting the head coaching position at NC State, his alma mater, USA TODAY Sports confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

With that move done, eyes are turning west, with some wondering whether another former NFL quarterback in Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA) coach Carson Palmer could make a similar jump to USC.

Following USC's losses to Oregon and Wisconsin this year, rumors began to swirl that the Trojans would likely move on from Lincoln Riley following the season. Those rumors began to die down after the Trojans blew out Ohio State but it hasn't stopped USC fans from continually wondering if Palmer is the next logical man to lead the program.

On Wednesday, Palmer shut down those rumors after he and Fletch Palmer, his son and Santa Margarita's quarterback, sat down for an interview with CBS-LA reporter Tarek Fattal.

"I'm where I'm supposed to be," Carson Palmer said in the interview. "Like I said earlier, I didn't know that this opportunity was going to happen but once I got here and have been here, I realized this is where I'm supposed to be. This is where God wants me to be and there's no doubt in my mind.

"This is a really special institution and a special place. Having the opportunity to have gone here, played here and now to come back is a really incredible experience. I don't want to be anywhere else."

This season marks Palmer's second leading the Eagles. He was named as the program's head coach in December 2024 and in his first year with the team, he led them to an 11-3 record, the CIF-SS Division I championship and the California Open Division championship.

This year, the Eagles are even better boasting, one of the best defensive units in the country while Fletch mans the offense. Santa Margarita is ranked as the No. 1 overall team in the latest USA TODAY Sports Super 25 rankings and sits at 10-0 entering the postseason.

Before he spent 15 seasons in the NFL, was the No. 1 overall draft pick or winning the Heisman, Carson Palmer was a standout at Santa Margarita during his preps playing days.

The last time Santa Margarita finished 10-0 was Palmer's senior season with the Eagles. That season, he would lead the Eagles to a 14-0 record and a California state championship while passing for 1,295 yards and 26 touchdowns. During his high school career, Palmer finished with a record of 40-2-1.