Last season, USC football starting quarterback Jayden Maiava entered the season as one of the lowest-rated starting quarterbacks in the Big Ten. He proved critics wrong. Jayden Maiava delivered 3431 yards passing, 23 touchdowns passing, and a 159.5 passer rating. Heading into this upcoming season, narratives are turning around for the USC quarterback.
In a recent quarterback rankings list by Zachary Neel at Ducks Wire, Jayden Maiava is ranked as a top-4 quarterback in the Big Ten. Here are his thoughts on Maiava after this season:
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“Jayden Maiava has a chance to be one of the best players in the Big Ten this year, and in the Heisman mix should things go well in Los Angeles. He is a talented passer with a lot of production in the past, and he impressed last year under Lincoln Riley.”
With a lot of doubt surrounding him prior to this season, Jayden Maiava was very impressive in his first real season as a starter. He showed huge improvement, and he led the Trojans to a 9-4 season in USC’s second season in the Big Ten. He took down Iowa and Michigan, two signature wins proving that USC belonged in the Big Ten.
It said a lot about Lincoln Riley’s trust in Maiava if he was the priority this offseason and Husan Longstreet left to go to LSU. Riley has the utmost confidence in his starting quarterback. If year 2 will be a step forward for Maiava, he should very well end up in Heisman conversations and end the season as a potential finalist.
It is great to see that many are recognizing that Maiava is not only one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten but also one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Big things are coming for Maiava this season, and he will be up for the challenge of leading the Trojans to more success than they achieved last season.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s Jayden Maiava enters 2026 season with much to prove in Big Ten
