USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Sees Jayden Maiava's Confidence Growing

The USC Trojans kicked off spring ball this week. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley spoke at length about quarterback Jayden Maiava and what he has seen out of him as the 2025 season approaches.

Jayden Maiava’s Growing Confidence

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

Jayden Maiava took over under center for the Trojans late last season after coach Lincoln Riley made the decision to bench Miller Moss. Maiava started the final four games of the season, where the Trojans went 3-1.

Now he enters the 2025 season in line to be the USC Trojans starting quarterback in Week 1. Riley spoke on Wednesday about the development he’s seen in Maiava from last season to this spring. Riley notes that he looks much more comfortable now.

“I think he (Jayden Maiava) is more confident in himself as a player, ability to execute our offense. He’s more confident I think in just the relationships that he’s developed with his teammates,” Riley said. “It was a unique situation last year, where you come in towards the end of the year and become the starter. That’s a tricky position to be in. I thought he handled it really well.”

Riley mentioned that Maiava has a tendency to be “his own toughest critic” and is very hard on himself.

“He’s not one that you worry about getting complacent or not wanting to work on the areas he knows he needs to attack and put in the necessary time and effort,” Riley said. “For him, it’s sometimes more like don’t be so hard on yourself…we’ll be plenty hard enough on you, make sure you give yourself credit for big time plays and the progress you have made as well..it’s the balance.”

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Jayden Maiava’s College Career

Nov 30, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) runs the ball 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

Jayden Maiava appeared in seven games last season for the Trojans, with four of them being starts. His final statistics totaled 1,201 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 59.8 percent completion percentage. Maiava also added four rushing touchdowns.

For a majority of the season, Maiava was sitting behind quarterback Miller Moss. Moss had sat behind Caleb Williams the two years prior and was even at USC before coach Lincoln Riley got there. Things didn't pan out as the Trojans struggled and Moss was benched. He entered the transfer portal in the offseason and is now a member of the Louisville Cardinals.

For Maiava, this was coming off of a freshman campaign in 2023 with the UNLV Rebels. In 14 games for UNLV, Maiava threw for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a completion percentage of 63.5. He added another 277 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns.

The Trojans kick off the 2025 season on Aug. 30 at home vs. Missouri State.