USC Trojans' Jayden Maiava Knee Injury, Physical Progression

USC Trojans' projected starting quarterback Jayden Maiava has paved the way to be a reliable signal caller for Lincoln Riley and the Trojan offense. After an underwhelming 2024 campaign, Maiava has utilized the offseason to develop an elite USC offense in 2025.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In another year of Lincoln Riley leading the USC Trojans, the program is utilizing a new signal-caller in Jayden Maiava – who finished out the season 3-1 as starting quarterback with 11 touchdowns. 

College football analysts have sent a clear message that Maiava is the key to a successful season at USC under Riley’s leadership. Analysts also believe that Maiava will exponentially improve over the course of the season and find himself with a loaded NFL Draft stock. 

Riley’s decision not to aggressively pursue a 2025 starting quarterback in the portal suggests he saw meaningful progress in Maiava’s development, and was confident in his ability to lead the offense. Backup quarterback Sam Huard adds valuable depth to the room.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With Maiava joining Riley’s high-powered offense, there's growing anticipation for an exciting season with promising results.

Maiava has the receiving core of wide receivers Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane and Boise state transfer Prince Strachan – Lemon and Lane ave spent the offseason gaining 2026 NFL Draft attention.

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Transfer running backs Eli Sanders and Waymond Jordan, along with tight ends Lake McRee and Walker Lyons, bring a fresh and exciting dynamic to the USC offense. Lyons had a breakthrough offseason in Riley’s eyes and should be a reliable piece for the Trojan offense. 

Maiava joined the Trojans in 2024 as a transfer from UNLV following a breakout season in Reno. Maiava led the Rebels with 3,085 total passing yards, 63 percent completion rate and 17 touchdowns in one season as starting quarterback.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley greets quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) after scoring a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Concerns about Maiava making the leap from UNLV to the Big Ten were short-lived when he took over as starting quarterback for the Trojans in November, following a four-game losing streak under Miller Moss at quarterback. 

The most difficult task for Maiava this season comes with a full season as starting quarterback. Maiava will face a slew of elite Big Ten competition like Illinois and Oregon with rival Notre Dame sandwiched in the middle. Resurrecting USC’s storied program from a disappointing 7–6 finish in 2024 starts with fixing the offense.

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Trojans went 1-4 in one-score losses, including a 27-24 loss over Michigan at the Big House and an overtime thriller loss to Penn State. USC has the potential to turn it around this season – if one-score losses get flipped, the Trojans have a clear shot at winning nine or 10 games this season. 

Riley went on ESPN’s “Always College Football” podcast and praised Maiava for his resilience and talent at the end of the season – paving a clear path for his role as starting quarterback this season. 

“He’s really grown, continuing to get better physically. He came with a little bit of a knee issue last year, that’s all cleared up so he’s really been able to train.” Riley said. “He’s gonna move around better for us this year, but if we can trim a few of those decisions off of him, which I certainly believe we can, this guys got a chance to be elite. He just does some things that are hard to teach, hard to coach and some things that are very, very tough to defend.”

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Trojans emphasized that the signal caller has the potential to be a true leader on offense once he adapts to his counterparts and trusts his receivers and offensive line. 

“I think the big thing is eliminating those one or two big negative plays a game. Because if you could go eliminate those from his starts, the guy played off the charts,” Riley said on the Trojans live radio show. “But that’s part of great quarterbacking, it’s knowing when can I be aggressive and when should I not. You know, how can I avoid those but not become conservative? Because we don’t want him to play that way either.”