USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley brings back his quarterback for the 2026 season. Jayden Maiava is settling in for another year in Los Angeles, his third with the program. As any QB in college football, there is going to be some room for improvement this offseason. But Riley thinks one of the biggest challenges for Maiava will be getting connected with the new USC skill position guys.
“One of Jayden’s biggest challenges this year is we’ll be very different in the wide receiver room and the tight end room,” Riley said in an interview with On3’s J.D. PicKell. “Getting in sync with those guys will be a big, big part of it.”
Impressive true freshman Tanook Hines will be the leading returning receiver for USC. Riley took NC State‘s Terrell Anderson out of the NCAA transfer portal after he put up over 600 yards in the ACC last season. And then the Trojans are bringing in some highly-skilled high school players, highlighted by Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei tight end Mark Bowman. Fresh faces all around, outside of Hines, for Maiava to work with.
But Riley is just happy to have some stability at quarterback. He admitted having the same guy back there for three seasons is not all too common these days. Between the NFL Draft and players lacking patience, only to transfer out, Maiava has sort of become the exception.
The growth has been incredibly evident throughout the years as well, at least for Riley. Watching film from Maiava’s early days at USC and to now is apparently different. Riley says similar jumps can be made in the near future, even with all this experience.
“He grew up so much during the offseason a year ago,” Riley said. “Just watching him, the player this last year vs. what he was two years ago. It’s almost like watching two completely different people. I just feel like this guy’s got a huge ceiling. I feel like he can make another jump, just like that. He was already one of the best quarterbacks in the country this year. I’m excited for it.”
Jayden Maiava played in 13 games last season for USC, throwing for 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Riley used Maiava on the ground every once in a while, calling for 54 carries. Those went for 157 yards and six touchdowns. If Riley’s offseason expectations come to fruition, we are going to see even better numbers in 2026.