USC’s Jayden Maiava Pulls Back the Curtain on Relationship With Lincoln Riley

2026 Big Ten Football Media Days got underway on Tuesday. One of the team members from USC Trojans that was there was quarterback Jayden Maiava. He opened up about the relationship between him and USC coach Lincoln Riley.

usc trojans jayden maiava lincoln riley quarterback 2026 big ten football media days chicago heisman college football playoff — Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and head coach Lincoln Riley react after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I think the relationship he’s built with guys off the field…We’re all football players at the end of the day. We’re all gifted with our different talents,” Maiava said at media day. “Our relationship off the field has been growing so I think, that grows to be a really good, special player.”

USC QB Jayden Maiava shares how HC Lincoln Riley has built a special bond with his players 🥹 pic.twitter.com/AaVecgEuSO
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) July 28, 2026

Maiava is heading into his third season with coach Lincoln Riley and USC. Maiava played his freshman season in college for the UNLV Rebels in 2023. He threw for 3,085 yards with 17 touchdowns and was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Year.

After the season came to a close, Maiava entered the transfer portal and chose USC. In 2024, Maiava didn’t start until late in the season. In 2025, he started all 13 games for the Trojans. He threw for 3,711 yards with 24 touchdowns and was named Third-team All-Big Ten. USC went 9-3 in the regular season, missing out on the College Football Playoff and instead losing in the Alamo Bowl.

Maiava could have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, but he opted to return for another season at USC. Barring injury, USC shouldn’t have to worry about the starting quarterback position this season.

Lincoln Riley has shown an ability to get the most out of starting quarterbacks and the same thing could be happening with Maiava. In Riley’s tenure as a head coach for Oklahoma and USC starting in 2017, he has coached three different Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks: Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams.

In addition to all three winning the Heisman Trophy, they were also all selected No. 1 overall in their respective NFL Draft.

Riley is entering year five at USC and will look to get the Trojans to the playoff for the first time in program history. Riley has an overall record of 35-18 at USC. The closest USC has been to getting into the playoff was in Riley’s first season in 2022. The Trojans entered the Pac-12 Championship game with a record of 11-1. A win and they would almost assuredly secure their spot in the, at the time, four team playoff. They lost to Utah in this game, ending those hopes.

The playoff is now up to 12 teams, giving USC a better chance to get in. Riley was hired to get USC back to being a contender. It’s been roughly 20 years since the Trojans were a consistent threat for national titles.

Will that change starting in 2026?

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, USC is a long shot to win the national title with odds of +3500. However, their odds to make the playoff much more favorable at +240

USC will kick off the season on Aug. 29 against the San Jose State Spartans.

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.

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