Jayden Maiava’s first season as USC’s full-time quarterback gave him plenty of big throws, but the play he remembers most wasn’t a touchdown pass or a game-winning drive. It was a tackle.
Maiava is the next cover athlete interview featured by The Journey Media in collaboration with EA Sports College Football 27, and one of the early takeaways from the conversation is his answer about the moment that stuck with him most from his first year running the Trojans’ offense. The choice might catch fans off guard.
It came against Northwestern, in a game USC badly needed after a 34-24 loss to Notre Dame on Oct. 18, 2025 and a narrow 21-17 win over Nebraska on Nov. 1, 2025.
At home, with the Trojans tied 14-14 and less than three minutes left in the first half, Maiava threw an interception on third-and-six from USC’s own 20-yard line. Northwestern defensive lineman Najee Story picked it off and headed the other way.
“You’re probably saying ‘Why is this your favorite moment?’ - it was by a D-lineman…I was so mad because it was from a big, it wasn't from no skill,” Maiava told The Journey’s Darien Rencher.
But Maiava didn’t let the play turn into disaster. As Story raced toward what looked like a possible tie-breaking score, Maiava chased him down the sideline and made the tackle that forced the ball loose out of the end zone, giving USC the football back.
“Credit to my teammates, they just do everything. They sacrifice their life so why wouldn’t I?" said Maiava.
USC took that momentum and finished the half strong. In the final two minutes, Maiava hit Ja’Kobi Lane for 13 yards, then King Miller broke free for a 55-yard run before finishing the drive with a 12-yard touchdown that put the Trojans ahead at halftime.
The Trojans rolled from there and beat Northwestern 38-17, their second win during a three-game streak. Maiava went 24-for-33 for 299 yards, two touchdowns and one turnover in the game.
He closed the season with 3,711 passing yards, the fifth-most in the nation, along with 24 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 89.9, per ESPN. Maiava also earned a spot in the Davey O’Brien Quarterback Class and was named Third-Team All-Big Ten. USC finished 9-4 and reached the Alamo Bowl in his first full season as the starter.
Now heading into his final year with the Trojans, Maiava is carrying real preseason buzz. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has him ranked No. 7 among quarterbacks for 2026, while Pro Football Focus and On3/Rivals both place him in their top 10 returning quarterbacks. PFF also slotted Maiava at No. 30 on its top-50 players list entering the 2026 season.
Even if he has been left off some early watchlists, Lincoln Riley’s history with quarterbacks in their second season under him gives USC plenty of reason to believe. At Oklahoma, Baker Mayfield went from 3,965 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2016 to 4,627 yards, 43 touchdowns and the Heisman. Caleb Williams followed a similar path at USC, jumping from 1,912 yards and 21 touchdowns in a partial 2021 season to 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and the Heisman Trophy.
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