Jayden Maiava’s NFL stock is already getting a close look, and ESPN draft and fantasy analyst Field Yates sees a quarterback with traits that stand out when the picture is clean.
Maiava, who leads the No. 18-ranked USC Trojans, is heading into one of the biggest stages of his season on Saturday, Oct. 10, when USC travels to Beaver Stadium to face an upset-minded Penn State team. It will be his first time playing in one of college football’s loudest venues, and plenty of eyes will be on him.
Yates described Maiava as a "strike thrower" while discussing the USC quarterback with Lorenzo Reyna of USC Trojans on SI.
"He just has the sense of delivering a beautiful throwing motion. His best throws on tape are as good as any," Yates shared.
Yates then offered a comparison that will sound familiar to USC fans.
"Now this is a lazy comparison because they both went to USC and wear No. 14, but Sam Darnold is one I've enjoyed seeing throw on platform," Yates said. "Jayden and Sam don't have a ton of similarities, but that's one of them. When they have time and space, their arm talent is really, really good."
That puts Maiava in the same conversation with Darnold, the former Trojans star who became a top three NFL Draft pick and a Rose Bowl winner. Darnold also beat Penn State in that Jan. 2017 game.
Yates said he still has work to do before finishing his own big board, but Maiava is already on his radar.
He also pointed to the bigger picture around USC, where expectations remain high and the pressure never really lets up.
"USC, obviously the expectations are really high for them year in and year out after their humbling defeat earlier [against No. 13 Oregon]. This feels like a season bordering on recent years for them where it's good, but not good enough," Yates said.
There is still time for Maiava, Lincoln Riley and USC to change the story. A win over Penn State would lock up bowl eligibility, while also keeping the Trojans in the mix for the Big Ten Championship game or even the College Football Playoffs.
Maiava’s draft status remains a talking point in a class expected to be deep in April, but Yates is already leaning toward a favorable projection.
"Jayden is a good player. I think he goes in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft," Yates said.
Yates will have plenty of football to watch Saturday, including USC’s trip to Penn State. He has also partnered with Red Baron "Crunchtime" as part of the pizza brand’s "Field Access promotion, offering weekly one-on-one strategy sessions to help fantasy players prepare for a championship push through Red Baron.
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