2027 NFL Draft: USC Quarterback Jayden Maiava Reveals the Secret to His Accuracy

Manzano: SI’s 2027 NFL mock draft 2.0 includes seven QBs in the first round

Jayden Maiava smiled as if he shouldn’t talk about a game that might be played only in Hawaiʻi.

At first, the star USC quarterback looked down after saying he grew up playing Portuguese horseshoes, which he called “Podagee.” Perhaps avoiding eye contact was his way of moving on to the next question and avoiding follow-up questions about the rules of this mysterious game.

“You know what [the game] horseshoes is?” Maiava asked. “It’s similar to that, but it’s a lot tougher. You gotta search it up one day.”

So I looked it up on Google, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok and, surprisingly, found few videos or articles about the Hawaiian lawn game. Or maybe I searched incorrectly because the game is known locally as Podagee horseshoes.

I’m sure Maiava didn’t tell me a secret meant to stay on the island, but it is the kind of game you have to experience in Hawaiʻi to understand it fully. Just imagine the island breeze hitting you as you launch silver circles into small holes in a wooden box, holding your favorite beverage in one hand, with a gorgeous backdrop only Hawaiʻi can offer facing your every direction.

Don’t confuse this for cornhole or attempt to play it anywhere else.

“I think it’s a game that’s only in Hawaiʻi,” Maiava said. “Nobody knows about that.”

After doing his best to explain the rules, Maiava realized that being an expert in this game helped him pass the football accurately. It probably also teaches patience and not to waver as a shooter. That’s probably a good way of summarizing Maiava as a quarterback. He’s a high-volume shooter who always seems to have a few “wow” on-target throws.

“Honestly, now that I think about it, I feel like it helped with accuracy a little bit,” Maiava said. “Just the position that I play, I gotta be accurate. … I think it really helped pinpoint targets, I guess, in the game Podagee horseshoes.”

Maiava’s accuracy and size at 6'4", 230 pounds have helped him gain attention from NFL scouts. However, it has been difficult to pinpoint his draft projection. Some scouts believe he’s worth a first-round pick because of all the traits he possesses as a pocket passer. Others aren’t so sure because he relies too much on staying in the pocket and occasionally locks in on his targets instead of creating on the run when plays don’t go as expected.

But there’s something admirable about Maiava constantly finishing what he starts. It’s tough to withdraw when he has the arm talent to shoot his way back into games.

Maiava had a blazing start to the season and couldn’t miss from anywhere on the field, then the Big Ten schedule arrived, which led to plenty of ups and downs, including against Oregon and Washington the past two weeks. Still, it’s worth noting how much he battled in those games despite not having his best target, freshman receiver Trent Mosley, who has been sidelined due to injury. Maiava has completed 68.6% of his passes for 1,744 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions.

As for those “wow” throws, Maiava had a holeshot to Kayden Dixon-Wyatt for 31 yards, a touchdown that ignited the shootout between the Trojans and Ducks at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum last month. However, Maiava’s arm and his defense faded in the final quarter.

Coach Lincoln Riley has struggled to build a balanced roster since he arrived in Los Angeles five seasons ago. That said, Riley has trusted Maiava to run his offense for two-plus seasons while many in the background are screaming for more wins. Clearly, Riley sees something in Maiava, just like NFL evaluators do.

Maiava comes from a big family and is the son of two hard-working parents who often worked day and night to provide. That’s probably where he got that mindset of finding a way to make it work. In high school, Maiava made the difficult decision to leave Hawaiʻi and move to Las Vegas to pursue his football dreams.

Maiava, who started at UNLV before transferring to USC, called living in Sin City a “culture shock,” but he was surrounded by family and friends.

“Everybody just kind of cooked their own meal and just had a whole family buffet,” Maiava said about his time in Las Vegas. “My grandma used to make this really good dish, shoyu chicken. It’s fire.”

No matter how Maiava’s football future turns out, he’s going to continue to give back to his communities, whether it's Hawaiʻi, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or an NFL city that took a chance on him and his pinpoint accuracy.

Earlier this year, Maiava drew a massive turnout for his youth football camp in Honolulu. Many wanted to be around Hawaiʻi’s latest talented quarterback. Maybe one day we’ll get a game of “Podagee” horseshoes between Maiava and his idols Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa.

WEEK 6 RISERS AND FALLERS

RISERS

Ashton Hampton, CB, Clemson

I’ve highlighted Hampton a few times in my weekly draft notebook. But I had to mention his impressive performance against stud sophomore receiver Malachi Toney, who caught only five passes for 40 yards against Clemson last week. True, the Hurricanes didn’t need Toney much in their 41–13 victory, but it says plenty that Hampton passed the test of shadowing the dangerous playmaker. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say Hampton is now CB2 behind Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore, but Georgia’s Ellis Robinson IV has also played well. All three could be Day 1 picks.

Vanderbilt’s Junior Sherrill is a Sunday player. Just toasted Georgia’s defense for six.

Sherrill came into today top 25 in the country in receiving yards (367). pic.twitter.com/ND47qupLcU
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) October 3, 2026

Junior Sherrill, WR, Vanderbilt

Sherrill has been a bright spot despite Vanderbilt losing its first two SEC games. The senior receiver put on a show against Georgia’s stout defense last week, recording seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. He also had success against Auburn, with six catches for 95 yards. Sherrill has 24 catches for 474 yards and three touchdowns this season.

Ryan Coleman-Williams, WR, Alabama

The speedy wideout was listed in my “fallers” section after dropping passes early in the season. However, that hasn’t been an issue in weeks, and he seems to have regained the big-play ability he showed as a freshman. Williams is averaging 18.8 yards per reception, up from 18.0 yards in 2024. He also has four touchdowns in the past three weeks. He’s starting to work his way back into Day 1 conversations.

FALLERS

Cam Coleman, WR, Texas

It's only a slight fall because Coleman could still go in the top 16 of the draft, but many had him as WR2 to open the season and now he might be third after Charlie Becker’s strong first month. It’s also not a given that Coleman is the third-best wideout in this class because there’s also Rutgers's KJ Duff, whom I profiled last week. It’s a tight race for WR2 behind Jeremiah Smith, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Coleman (12 catches, 208 yards, 4 TDs) regains his spot later this year, especially if QB Arch Manning finds consistency. This is a good year to be searching for a wide receiver.

Koi Perich, S, Oregon

The Minnesota transfer had a rough first month. Perhaps Oregon hasn’t been a good fit for him, but his struggles in coverage are concerning. The junior has 13 total tackles and one interception.

Isaac Brown, RB, Louisville

Brown got off to a slow start in the first four games, but he might have turned a corner after rushing for 125 yards and a touchdown on only nine carries against NC State last week. It was by far his best performance after not cracking 67 yards in his first four games.

GAMES THAT COULD IMPACT THE DRAFT

Florida State at Louisville, 7 p.m. ET Friday

Perhaps Louisville edge rusher Clev Lubin took notice of his No. 62 ranking on my latest big board and will use it as fuel to put on a show in a prime-time spot. Many are high on Lubin, but there will likely be many talented edge rushers declaring for April’s draft. This is a perfect opportunity to stand out.

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Ole Miss suffered a surprisingly sluggish loss to Florida before entering its bye week. It wasn’t the best performance for quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and defensive tackle Will Echoles. Let’s see if the notable draft prospects get back on track against an opponent they should be able to flex against. As mentioned above, keep an eye on Sherrill in this game.

UCLA at Oregon, 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday

This is a good time to check in on quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the undefeated Bruins who are loaded with impactful transfer-portal players. Many heard Oregon coach Dan Lanning compare this UCLA team to last year’s Indiana squad. New UCLA coach Bob Chesney has gotten plenty right, including adding former James Madison running back Wayne Knight and former Oklahoma linebacker Sammy Omosigho. These two prospects are moving up draft boards.

All signs also point to Dylan Raiola starting as Dante Moore works his way back from a concussion.

USC at Penn State, 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday

Maiava and senior quarterback Rocco Becht have had similar starts to the season. They were impressive in the first few weeks, but have struggled against Big Ten competition, partly because injuries have kept key playmakers out. Maybe one or both signal-callers find ways to get back on track.

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