Jayden Maiava is heading into the 2026 season at USC with something every quarterback wants and every coach tries to protect: full trust from Lincoln Riley.
That trust matters even more because of the way last season unfolded. Riley and Maiava had to build their connection on the fly, and the result was an offense that could look flat-out unstoppable at times. USC kept moving forward in the Big Ten last year, but the next step for the Trojans will come down to the same pairing again: Maiava and Riley.
At Big Ten media days, Riley made his belief in his quarterback plain. USC Trojans reporter Kendell Hollowell shared the coach’s comments in a recent tweet, and Riley didn’t hold back when talking about Maiava’s growth.
“Of all the guys that I've been fortunate enough to coach, I don't know that I've had anyone that has improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has.”
That kind of praise carries real weight coming from Riley, who has coached some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL today. It says plenty about how much confidence he has in Maiava and what he expects from him this season.
Maiava’s first year as a starter was already productive. He ran an explosive offense, threw with confidence, and put plenty of defenses under pressure.
Now he enters this season with more experience and even more confidence, and that combination points to a bigger year ahead. With Riley fully behind him, Maiava has the kind of support that can push him there.
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