USC Trojans' Jayden Maiava Most Underrated Quarterback In Big Ten?

The USC Trojans' offense, led by quarterback Jayden Maiava, faces a big make-or-break year this upcoming season. Maiava is entering his second year in USC coach Lincoln Riley's system and will be one of the biggest wildcards heading into the season.

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 fate of the USC Trojans' offense for the 2025 season will be in the hands of starting quarterback Jayden Maiava. A returning starter, Maiava will be relied upon heavily as the Trojans' offense received an influx of newcomers over the offseason.

Now in his second season under USC coach Lincoln Riley, Maiava has to take the next step in his development for the Trojans to be legitimate College Football Playoff contender.

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

Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic ranked each projected starter of the 136 FBS programs. The ranking is broken down the ranking into a seven tier system, and they slotted Maiava in the fourth tier, ranking him as the No. 54 quarterback in the country.

"Maiava played well in moments last year but also displayed some really confounding lows. USC’s offense was inconsistent as a result. Maiava will be in his second year under Lincoln Riley, who is one of the best QB mentors in the sport, but he’ll have to trim the fat from his game and eliminate the three to four bad mistakes that stall the offense. Otherwise, the Trojans will be boom-or-bust offensively," Khan and Morales said.

One of the most polarizing quarterbacks in the Big Ten, Maiava is ranked as the No. 13 ranked quarterback in the conference and the second-to-last returning starter, in front of Rutgers' Athan Kaliakmanis. Interestingly enough, Maiava was ranked behind two Big Ten quarterbacks who have yet to log a collegiate start in Ohio State's Julian Sayin and Michigan's Bryce Underwood.

Former USC quarterback Miller Moss, who transferred to Louisville, checks in over ten spots higher than Maiava as the No. 43 quarterback in the country.

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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

It's tough to properly assess Maiava's 2024 performance as it came at one of the most crucial points of the season where the Trojans played UCLA, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M to cap off the end of the year. Across four starts last season, Maiava threw for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns with six interceptions.

Maiava should have some opportunities to prove himself early in the season. The Trojans open up the 2025 campaign with two Group of Five teams in Missouri State and Georgia Southern. Their season opener vs. Missouri State will be a very telling game for Maiava. He should find a lot of success vs. the Bears, who ranked as the No. 58 passing defense in FCS last season.

If the Hawaii native is able to direct the Trojans to a 4-0 record, they will head into a critical four game stretch that could make or break the season. USC will take on Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Nebraska as Maiava will duel with some of the best quarterbacks in the country like Illinois' Luke Altmyer and Nebraska's Dylan Raiola.