USC Trojans’ Lincoln Riley Optimistic About Quarterback Jayden Maiava’s Progress

USC Trojans coach Lincoln Riley’s resume when it comes to quarterback development is unrivaled in the sport, having coached three Heisman Trophy winners and three No. 1 overall picks in the NFL Draft.

His former quarterback, Jalen Hurts, just led the Philadelphia Eagles to a dominate win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, earning Super Bowl MVP honors in the process. At different points during the 2024 season, Riley had five of his former quarterbacks starting for an NFL team.

All eyes are on Riley’s current signal-caller, redshirt junior Jayden Maiava. The Hawaii native is entering his second season with the Trojans after transferring from UNLV in the winter of 2024.

Lincoln Riley — 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

Maiava replaced Miller Moss as the starter in early November after a loss to Washington dropped USC to 4-5 and in danger of winning of missing a bowl game. Maiava stepped in and guided to the Trojans to a 3-1 record, including wins over Nebraska, UCLA and Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The 6-4, 220-pound, Maiava accounted for 14 touchdowns in his four starts. Maiava showcased his arm talent and off-script creativity, but his six interceptions, one fumble and 59.8 completion percentage stood out.

Maiava was engaged in a quarterback competition with five-star early enrollee Husan Longstreet this spring, but Riley stated, “Jayden’s clearly the No. 1 quarterback right now, which is not surprising at all.”

The Trojans coach discussed Maiava’s progression on ESPN’s “Always College Football” podcast.

“We were excited about how he played, I think given his inexperience in our system and kind of coming in that type of situation is not always the easiest,” Riley said. “I thought he handled it really well. We went 3-1 in the games that he played and he gave us a great chance to beat Notre Dame. His good is so good. Some of the throws this guy makes. The big goal for us is can you take the good, try to enhance that but then can you take some of the negative plays, remove those from his game."

“Because he’s really grown, continuing to get better physically. He came with a little bit of a knee issue last year, that’s all cleared up so he’s really been able to train. He’s gonna move around better for us this year, but if we can trim a few of those decisions off of him, which I certainly believe we can, this guys got a chance to be elite. He just does some things that are hard to teach, hard to coach and some things that are very, very tough to defend," Riley continued.

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Riley enters a pressure packed fourth season at the helm and a ton of the Trojans success will fall on the shoulders of Maiava in 2025.

USC lost four of its top six pass-catchers from last season but return its top two guys in juniors Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. Lane’s 12 touchdowns last season ranked second in the Big Ten, only behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Lemon ranked first on the team in receptions (52) and receiving yards (764).

The Trojans added former Boise State receiver Prince Strachan during the winter transfer portal window and former Utah receiver Zacharyus Williams during the spring transfer portal window. Senior Jay Fair is expected to carve out a bigger role in the fall.

Lane and Lemon — Oct 19, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane (8) celebrates with Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) after scoring first half touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Riley raved about redshirt freshman Xavier Jordan, a former top 100 recruit in the 2024 cycle and Corey Simms, a four-star early enrollee during spring practice. Four-star receivers Tanook Hines and Romero Ison will officially join the team this month. Redshirt senior Lake McRee and sophomore Walker Lyons will give Maiava two viable options at the tight end position.

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