Last season, USC football starting quarterback Jayden Maiava entered this season as one of the lowest-rated starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten. He proved his critics wrong. Jayden Maiava passed for 3,431 yards, 23 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 159.5. Heading into this upcoming season, the USC quarterback’s story is taking a turn.
In the most recent quarterback rankings released by Ducks Wire’s Zachary Neel, Jayden Maiava was named a top-10 quarterback. Here’s what he had to say about Maiava after the season:
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“Jaden Maiava has a chance to be one of the best players in the Big Ten this year in the Heisman mix if everything goes well in Los Angeles. He’s a talented passer with a lot of production in the past and impressed last year under Lincoln Riley.”
Jaden Maiava had a lot of doubts before this season, but he performed extremely well in his first real season as a starter. He showed tremendous improvement and led the Trojans to a 9-4 record in USC’s second season in the Big Ten. He took down Iowa State and Michigan State, two signature wins that proved USC belonged in the Big Ten.
If Lincoln Riley is a priority this offseason and Hussan Longstreet leaves for LSU, it says a lot about the trust Lincoln Riley has in Myawa. Riley has full confidence in his starting quarterback. If year two is a step forward for Maiava, he’ll likely be in the Heisman conversation and finish the season as a potential finalist.
It’s great to see a lot of people recognizing that Mayava is not only one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten, but one of the best in the country. Big things are in store for Miawa this season and he will rise to the challenge of leading the Trojans to even greater success than last season.
This article originally appeared in Trojans Wire: USC’s Jayden Maiava enters 2026 season with a lot to prove in the Big Ten