USC quarterback Jayden Maiava is heading into the 2026 season with a chance to chase two big goals at once: push the Trojans toward their first College Football Playoff berth in program history and put himself squarely in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
If Maiava gets it done, he’d become the ninth USC player to win the award and the first Trojan since Caleb Williams took it in 2022. The path is there, too. Four of the last five Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, which gives Maiava a familiar lane to work with.
The case starts with what he already did last season. In his first year as USC’s starter, Maiava led the Big Ten in passing with 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also finished with the second-best QBR in the country at 89.9.
That kind of production is the baseline. To actually win the Heisman, though, Maiava needs more than numbers piled up in routine games. He has to deliver when USC’s season is on the line.
The Trojans’ biggest tests arrive against Oregon on Sept. 26 and Ohio State on Oct. 31 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, plus road trips to Penn State on Oct. 10 and Indiana on Nov. 14. Those are the games that will shape USC’s CFP hopes, and they’re also the ones that can shape Maiava’s Heisman résumé.
He’ll also be measured against two other Big Ten quarterbacks with their own award buzz: Oregon’s Dante Moore and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin. If Maiava wants to separate himself, those matchups are where he can make the loudest statement.
Last season showed the flip side. In USC’s four losses, including road defeats to Illinois, Notre Dame and Oregon in the regular season and the Alamo Bowl loss to TCU, Maiava threw seven interceptions combined. That’s the kind of slip he can’t afford in the biggest spots this year.
Caleb Williams’ 2022 Heisman season offers the standard Maiava is chasing. Williams threw for 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions on his way to the trophy. If Maiava can get anywhere near that level of production, his candidacy gets a whole lot stronger.
USC opens the season against San Jose State on Aug. 29 at the Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PT, and the game will air on NBC.
In Other News...
USC Fall Camp Opens With One Position Battle Looming Over Everything
USCs fall camp opens with the roster in a familiar place for a program trying to climb back toward the top: plenty of talent, plenty of new faces, and more than a few jobs still up for grabs. The Trojans have mixed proven returners like linebacker Desman Stephens II and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart with additions such as linebacker Deven Bryant and tight end Tucker Ashcraft, giving the staff a deeper look at several spots that could shape the season.
The most intriguing part of camp may be how quickly the younger players force their way into the conversation, especially at tight end, wide receiver and in the secondary. Mark Bowman brings the kind of buzz that can change a room early, while USC will also be sorting out how its receiver and cornerback groups settle in behind the top names. For a team with real depth questions and a few potential breakout players, the first stretch of camp should reveal which position battle matters most. [Read more 🡒]
USCs 2026 Run Game Suddenly Hinges On One Troubling Question
Waymond Jordan was already positioned to be the centerpiece of USCs rushing attack in 2026 before the injury against Michigan changed the conversation around him. Even after a limited spring because of a procedure, he still looks like the most dynamic back on the roster and one of the more important leaders in the room, which is why the Trojans have spent so much time thinking about what the offense looks like with him at full strength.
King Miller is the next name up if Jordan is not available, with Riley Wormley, Deshonne Redeaux and Shahn Alston also in the mix behind him. USC has enough bodies to keep the backfield moving, but the bigger question is whether any of them can match the steadiness Jordan has already shown in the situations that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
USC Legends Are Surrounding This Program And Recruits Can Feel It
USCs recruiting pitch has always leaned on tradition, but this spring and summer it has felt more tangible than nostalgic. Former Trojans such as Marcus Allen, Willie McGinest, Mike Williams and Ronnie Lott have not just been name-dropped around the program, they have shown up, sat in on games, spoken to recruits on official visits and taken part in team events. For current players and visitors, that means the history is not sitting in a trophy case somewhere. It is walking the sideline, shaking hands and reinforcing what it means to wear the jersey.
The effect matters because recruits notice who is around when they are being asked to imagine their next three or four years. Allen, McGinest and Lott have each had chances to connect with young players, while recent USC stars have also been visible around offseason work and spring practice, adding another layer to the message. For a program trying to keep its momentum in recruiting, the presence of so many familiar faces gives the pitch extra weight, and it is part of why the Trojans can sell more than a depth chart and a facility tour. [Read more 🡒]