The start of the 2026 college football season is just around the corner. And with it, watch list season is officially upon us!
This past week, the watch list was announced for the Maxwell Award. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and running back Waymond Jordan both made the list.
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“Maiava continues to add preseason accolades to his name,” USC wrote in a press release. “He was one of 12 total players from the Big Ten Conference to be named to the 2026 Big Ten Football Preseason Honors list. Maiava was also recently named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Goodworks Team for his commitment to community service and leadership beyond the gridiron.
“He was named to the 2025 All Big Ten Third Team, the 2025 Phil Steele All-Big Ten Third Team and the Pro Football Sports Network All-Big Ten Third Team. Maiava was a Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Finalist and was a Davey O’Brien Award Semifinalist. He was a two-time Davey O’Brien Great 8 recipient and a Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honoree.
“Jordan, one of the nation’s top running backs, returns for the 2026 season. After transferring to USC in the spring of 2025 from Hutchinson CC, he exploded onto the scene as one of the most productive backs in the country. He rushed for 576 yards on 88 carries (6.5 avg.) with 5 TDs through just six games as a redshirt junior in 2025. He also recorded 7 receptions for 55 yards. Jordan suffered a season-ending injury versus Michigan which sidelined him for the remainder of 2025. He was named to the Sports Illustrated Midseason All-American Second Team.”
The Maxwell Award has been presented annually to the top college football player in the country since 1937. Four Trojans have won the award: O.J. Simpson in 1968, Charles White in 1979, Marcus Allen in 1981, and Caleb Williams in 2022. All four players also won the Heisman Trophy.
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USC will kick off its 2026 season on August 29 at the Coliseum against San Jose State.
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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC’s Jayden Maiava, Waymond Jordan named to Maxwell Award Watch List
