USC Coach Lincoln Riley’s Wild NFL Quarterback Trend

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley hit a milestone entering week 1 of the NFL season, leading all college coaches with five starting quarterbacks from his time with the Oklahoma Sooners and USC. With quarterback Jayden Maiava as his new starter, Riley looks to continue building his quarterback legacy.

Dec 2, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches game action against the Utah Utes during the second half in the PAC-12 Football Championship at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

While USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley has felt the pressure of delivering a successful 2025 season performance, college football fans also remember the kind of coach he has been: An elite quarterback developer.

With week 1 of the NFL underway, the Trojans coach holds an incredible stat going into the 2025 season.

Five NFL Starting Quarterbacks in Week 1 for Lincoln Riley

Jan 2, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks to quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during the game against the Tulane Green Wave in the 2023 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Between Riley's tenure at Oklahoma and so far with USC, his five starting quarterbacks in the NFL are the most by any college football coach.

Riley is responsible for Tampa Bay Buccaneer's Baker Mayfield, Arizona Cardinal's Kyler Murray, Philadelphia Eagles Jalen Hurts, New Orleans Saints Spencer Rattler and Chicago Bears Caleb Williams.

Murray, Mayfield, Rattler and Hurts were Oklahoma under Riley and Williams played for both USC and Oklahoma. Murray, Mayfield and Williams were all Heisman Trophy winners, with Hurts as a Heisman finalist.

Mayfield was a prodigy under Riley's direction, leading the Sooners to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance, when they fell short to the Georgia Bulldogs to an overtime thriller at the Rose Bowl in 2018. Mayfield was also Riley's second Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma, with Murray winning the next year.

Dec 2, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (right) celebrates with head coach Lincoln Riley after the game against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Championship game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Williams is Riley's most recent NFL starting quarterback. The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner led the Sooners as a true freshman with 1,912 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions across 11 games.

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When Riley accepted his role at USC, Williams followed suit and joined Riley in Los Angeles for two seasons as the Trojans starting quarterback.

Williams earned numerous accolades including the 2022 Walter Camp Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year and the Maxwell Award and a 2023 Unanimous First Team All-American Quarterback. He finished his time with USC producing 8,170 passing yards, 72 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

How Can Riley Develop Jayden Maiava at USC?

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Riley's current starting quarterback with USC is Jayden Maiava. The Junior from UNLV made a strong showing in his second full season with the Trojans, recording 295 passing yards and two touchdowns in his two quarters vs. Missouri State.

Maiava's role with the Trojans started late last season, when Louisville quarterback Miller Moss was benched after a 4-5 start as USC's starting quarterback. In four starts, Maiava finished 3-1 with 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.

Maiava's strong arm and ability to get the ball out is a solid start to become an elite signal-caller under Riley.

With Riley's development, Maiava is bound to be a force on the offense, and help bring the Trojans back to West Coast dominance. The Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week spent the offseason getting comfortable with being the new offensive leader, which was translated in the 73-13 win over the Bears.

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

Riley has also shared that while his mechanics have improved, Riley made notice to his confidence boost on the field, noting he looks comfortable leading the team.

The challenge for Maiava is to stay consistent each week, which he showed last season minus their loss to Notre Dame. Maiava has wins over Texas A&M, UCLA and Nebraska under his belt as starting quarterback.

If Maiava can continue with the promising path he is on, he can become another one of Riley's elite quarterback products who is bound to have a career in the league.