Jayden Maiava is walking into the 2026 season with real momentum, and Pro Football Focus just gave that buzz another push. The USC quarterback landed at No. 4 on PFF’s list of the five best deep passers entering the year, a strong sign that his downfield game is already earning national respect.
Maiava finished the 2025 season with 3,711 passing yards, leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the FBS in PFF’s “big-time throws.” That production put him squarely on the radar as one of the country’s most dangerous vertical passers, and the numbers back it up.
PFF placed Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Oregon’s Dante Moore and Auburn’s Bryum Brown ahead of him, with Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss rounding out the top five. Even at No. 4, Maiava’s spot says plenty about how much damage he did throwing deep last season.
No returning quarterback produced more on deep throws in 2025. According to PFF, Maiava led the nation with 1,381 passing yards on deep attempts and also topped the country with 39 completions of 20 or more yards through the air. USC kept defenses on their heels by attacking vertically, and Maiava was the engine behind it.
What makes that even more impressive is how efficiently he handled the aggression. PFF said his only real rough patch came against Oregon, when three straight turnover-worthy deep throws led to one interception. Outside of that, he had just one other turnover-worthy deep throw the rest of the season, despite taking one of the highest volumes of deep shots in the nation.
That kind of profile fits Lincoln Riley’s offense perfectly. Riley has built his reputation on explosive plays, and Maiava showed last season that he can deliver them consistently. That connection matters even more now, with USC having lost top receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane to the NFL.
The Trojans will be leaning on a new wave of pass catchers, and the downfield chemistry will be a major piece of the puzzle if USC wants to keep one of the nation’s most explosive passing attacks rolling.
There’s no shortage of change around Maiava, but there’s also plenty to like. USC brings back all five starters on what is described as one of the strongest offensive lines in the nation, including left tackle Elijah Paige and Alani Noa. The Trojans also added the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, headlined by five-star offensive tackle Keenyi Pepe.
At receiver and tight end, the names are different, but the talent is still there. Tanook Hines returns with experience, while freshmen Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley and Ethan “Boobie” Feaster give Riley more options to work with.
The challenge is obvious: Maiava has to replace nearly his entire receiving corps, with Lemon, Lane and tight end Lake McRee all off to the NFL. But the setup around him still gives USC a real chance to stay dangerous, and if Maiava keeps pushing the ball the way he did in 2025, another big season is well within reach.
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