Lincoln Riley Names What Makes USC Quarterback Jayden Maiava So Dangerous

The No. 14 USC Trojans have averaged 40.5 points per game in the their first two contests of the season, and quarterback Jayden Maiava's experience has been on display leading a new group of pass catchers to offensively dominant performances. The Trojans have not yet been exactly challenged, facing San José State and Fresno State in week 0 and week 1, respectively, but Maiava is playing at an elite level.

Lincoln Riley on Jayden Maiava's Performance

usc trojans jayden maiava lincoln riley heisman trophy betting odds fresno state bulldogs performance trent mosley big ten — Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

USC coach Lincoln Riley has taken notice, and explained some of what he's seeing in Maiava's play during his appearance on Trojans Live on Monday.

"It's a combination of a lot of things. He's comfortable with how we want to attack people and understands our schemes/concepts. A majority of the time, he knows where the ball should go," said Riley.

That skill has been on display, especially in USC's win over Fresno State. Maiava completed 23 of 25 passes for 349 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions en route to beating the Bulldogs.

"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 but the thing about him, he actually doesn't need that much space to throw."

"His arm is talented enough to where he doesn't need to step and put his entire body into the throws. He can throw from a confined space and make a variety of throws. He's always had arm talent, but he's strong," Riley continued.

True freshmen wide receivers Trent Mosley and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt both finished with over 100 receiving yards against Fresno State, proving Maiava's ability to build chemistry quickly with young receivers, a big question heading into USC's season after losing star pass catchers in Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane to the NFL.

Riley has a history of sending quarterbacks to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, with signal-callers like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams all winning the prestigious award uner Riley's tutelage.

Jayden Maiava Heisman Trophy Betting Odds

it's early in the season, but Maiava does appear to be a contender for the Heisman. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the USC quarterback has the 10th-highest odds to win the Heisman Trophy at +1900.

He's behind players like LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt (+1600) and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (+1400) after week 1 while Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (+650), but Maiava is ahead of other key contenders like Indiana's Josh Hoover (+2200) and Oklahoma's John Mateer (+3000).

The race for the Heisman has a ways to go, and Maiava will have a chance to make multiple statements with teams like No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Indiana, and No. 6 Oregon on the Trojans' schedule.

One of Maiava's biggest weaknesses during the 2025 season was turning the ball over against USC's strongest opponents, but if the Trojans quarterback can lead his teams to multiple top-10 wins and a shot at the College Football Playoff, Maiava likely has a strong chance to wind up in New York City as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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

Add us as a preferred source on Google