Jayden Maiava is going to be the USC Trojans starting quarterback from the get-go in 2025, and he’s 100 percent owning that role. Maiava started last season as the backup to Miller Moss, but when Moss and USC struggled, he was thrust into the starting role midway through November. That ended up being the right move by head coach Lincoln Riley, because Maiava led the Trojans to a 3-1 record as a starter, and that included a bowl game win. Now USC is ready to lean on Maiava for the whole season, and Riley recently told the media in a news conference that the redshirt junior has taken ownership of his role. “I think he would say that he feels like it’s his team,” Riley explained (h/t On3). “I think he’s knows the guys better, he knows what he’s doing as a player better. It’s just a much different situation, so I just think there’s a different confidence and kind of swagger with him right now in the way he plays, the way he interacts with guys. The way he challenges guys, uplifts guys.” Maiava threw for 906 yard
