Jayden Maiava Makes Surprising Move in National Quarterback Rankings

USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava has impressed in the first two games of the season, but his latest ranking suggests otherwise.

Oct 11, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) warms up prior to the game against the Michigan Wolverines at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the first week of college football officially in the books, CBS Sports released their quarterback rankings heading into week 2. Thanks to his performances in the first two games of the season, No. 14 USC’s own Jayden Maiava hangs inside the top 10 list.

The former UNLV transfer saw a shift down from his previous preseason CBS Sports ranking from seventh to eighth. That was mostly due to other quarterbacks standing out more in week 1, however.

Sep 4, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Darian Mensah (10) stands in the pocket against the Stanford Cardinal during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Taking the top three spots were No. 7 Miami’s Darian Mensah, No. 8 LSU’s Sam Leavitt, and No. 9 Ole Miss’s Trinidad Chambliss.

Maiava’s Early Season Performance

Many argue that USC has yet to face any true test for now, and while it is true, Maiava has been consistent under center.

In two games he’s passed for 635 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also kept a clean sheet with zero interceptions and has only been sacked once.

“I think it comes from the (offensive) line, running back, receivers just all in the same page playing at a really high level. Obviously, there’s some things to clean up that we want to get better at,” Maiava said after their shutout win over Fresno State.

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Trent Mosley (4) carries the ball on a 9-yard touchdown rexeption against Fresno State Bulldogs defensive back Ethan Tierney (4) in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite having such a young receiving core, among them freshmen Trent Mosely, Ethan “Boobie” Feaster, and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Maiava has shown his ability to find open targets.

In their matchup against Fresno State, Maiava found Mosley four times for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, he connected with Dixon-Wyatt for 102 yards, en route to a 349-yard passing game. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after the game.

in a league of his own 📈✌️

Jayden Maiava has been named the B1G Offensive Player of the Week‼️ pic.twitter.com/6CFldbYzdx

— USC Football ✌️ (@uscfb) September 7, 2026

“Guys are making plays for him, and we’ve protected him very well. In terms of his arm talents, he’s always been an accurate guy,” coach Lincoln Riley said about Maiava. “He actually doesn’t need that much space to throw. He’s always had arm talent, but he’s strong.”

The Road Ahead

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leaves the field against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maiava and the Trojans close out their non-conference schedule against first-time opponent Louisiana on Saturday night. A week later, they’ll kick off Big Ten play with their first road trip of the year at Rutgers.

While both teams shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Trojans, Maiava and company have a great opportunity to build on to the strong start.

All eyes are on their first true test when No. 6 Oregon comes to Los Angeles.

In last season’s thriller between the Trojans and the Ducks, Maiava played a solid game throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-27. But perhaps most notably, he turned the ball over twice, something he struggled with in big games but is hoping to change this year.

Oregon wide receiver Malik Benson carries the ball amid a tackle from USC safety Christian Pierce as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“He’s comfortable with how we want to attack people and understands our schemes/concepts,” Riley said. “A majority of the time, he knows where the ball should go.”

The season is still young and Maiava still has plenty of time to prepare before facing the elite Big Ten opponents. For now, though, Maiava is showing that he is very much deserving to be ranked among the best of college football quarterbacks.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, and X for the latest news.