USC’s countdown of the Top 30 Most Important Trojans for 2026 ends where it always seemed headed: with Jayden Maiava at No. 1.
The fifth-year senior and returning starting quarterback takes the top spot after sitting at No. 4 last summer, rising to No. 3 after fall camp, and then moving into No. 1 during the midseason bye re-rank. It’s the first time in the last three seasons the list has opened fall camp with a quarterback at No. 1, but Maiava’s place at the top never really looked in doubt.
At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Maiava enters his third season in Lincoln Riley’s offense after a 2025 season that earned him All-Big Ten third-team honors. He completed 265 of 403 passes for 3,711 yards, 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, led the nation with a 91.2 QBR, and added six rushing touchdowns. USC finished the regular season 9-3 and ended up No. 16 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, with Maiava serving as the difference-maker throughout much of the year.
That difference was tied closely to turnovers. When Maiava threw multiple interceptions in a game, USC lost all three times.
In those three games, he also finished at 60 percent completion or worse. Across his career, the UNLV transfer has started 28 games and thrown 26 interceptions, and his teams are 2-7 when he has multiple picks in a game.
Maiava knows that part of his game has to clean up.
"I watched back on all the turnovers that I've had, and it was all just bad decision in terms of immature decisions, not really going through it," Maiava said. "It was nothing, nothing coaching or anything. It was really just, if I could definitely get that play back, obviously I know what I'd do better."
The upside is obvious, though. Maiava is now a multi-year starter and a veteran in Riley’s system, and he should be beyond the point of learning the reads.
The next step is about making the right decisions and turning that comfort into consistent production. USC also has a running game to lean on and what looks like the most talented offensive line he’s played behind, which gives him a strong platform for a big season.
The receiver room is mostly new outside of sophomore Tanook Hines, but Maiava will still have options. He has weapons on the perimeter, at tight end and in the passing game out of the backfield.
His value is also bigger than the box score. Riley said Maiava has grown into more than just a quarterback who can deliver the ball and make checks at the line.
"He's just started to embrace more about what it means to be the starting quarterback at a USC," Riley said. "There's just more to it than playing the game.
He's learned to lead the guys. He's learned that they need to feel his presence and his impact beyond throwing a good pass or checking us into a good play."
Riley added at Big Ten Media Days that Maiava’s development has stood out more than any player he has coached.
"Of all the guys I've been fortunate enough to coach, I don't know that I've had any that have improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has," Riley said. "It's been fun to see him grow as a player and leader, starting to embrace what it means to be the starting quarterback at USC. I think a guy that's just going to get better and better in his prime to play his best football."
With a true freshman likely backing him up, the dropoff if Maiava were lost would be massive. In Riley’s offense, that kind of quarterback importance is hard to overstate, and it’s why Maiava sits alone at the top of the list.
Last year’s No. 1, linebacker Eric Gentry, finished second on the team with 75 tackles and added seven tackles for loss and three sacks, though most of that production came in the first four games. He had 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in barely a quarter of the defensive snaps compared to the year before.
His best moments included an eight-tackle performance against Purdue with three tackles for loss, two sacks and two forced fumbles, plus a big forced fumble against Illinois near the goal line. Gentry signed with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent.
The rest of the Top 30 for 2026: No. 2 Elijah Paige, No.
3 Jahkeem Stewart, No. 4 Desman Stephens II, No.
5 Kameryn Crawford, No. 6 Waymond Jordan, No.
7 Jide Abasiri, No. 8 Tanook Hines, No.
9 Tobias Raymond, No. 10 Christian Pierce, No.
11 Kilian O'Connor, No. 12 Jontez Williams, No.
13 Alex Graham, No. 14 Braylan Shelby, No.
15 Mark Bowman, No. 16 Terrell Anderson, No.
17 Alex VanSumeren, No. 18 Marcelles Williams, No.
19 King Miller, No. 20 Kennedy Urlacher, No.
21 Jadyn Walker, No. 22 Deven Bryant, No.
23 Alani Noa, No. 24 Prophet Brown, No.
25 Floyd Boucard, No. 26 Ryon Sayeri, No.
27 Justin Tauanuu, No. 28 Luke Wafle, No.
29 Elbert Hill IV and No. 30 Trent Mosley.
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USCs defensive line looks a lot different this year, with returning pieces mixing alongside transfers and freshmen to create more depth and experience than the group had before. In that kind of setting, Abasiris blend of physicality and growing responsibility matters beyond his own snaps. The real question now is how much that expanded role can translate once the Trojans start leaning on this new-look front in games. [Read more 🡒]