USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava is a polarizing player. His arm talent and athleticism are undeniable. He is able to make throws that not many college quarterbacks can.
However, over the course of the 4 games that he started last year, his decision-making was sometimes questionable, and he forced throws at times that came back to haunt him.
While head coach Lincoln Riley has not named him the unquestioned starter heading into fall camp, he has the massive advantage over incoming freshman Husan Longstreet and transfer Sam Huard.
The Trojans did a great job filling out the roster and adding a lot more depth on the defensive side of the football. They will be a much more complete team this season, but it still feels like the year’s outcome will ride on the play of the quarterback.
Will Jayden Maiava be the guy to lead them back into the national spotlight? Based on a recent ranking, there does not seem to be much faith in him.
Josh Pate Ranks USC Trojans QB Jayden Maiava Low Among Big Ten QBs
Josh Pate is one of the most respected college football analysts in the game. In partnership with CBS, Pate has a YouTube channel with over 350,000 subscribers, where he hosts his Josh Pate College Football Show.
He recently dropped his Big Ten quarterback rankings heading into fall camp, and he put Jayden Maiava at 7th in the conference.
REPORT: I am socializing my Big Ten QB rankings with select people today. Will report feedback. pic.twitter.com/2nmdMIId5T
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) June 13, 2025
For those who cannot view the tweet, here is how he ranks the Top 10.
- Drew Allar – Penn State
- Julian Sayin – Ohio State
- Dante Moore – Dante Moore
- Demond Williams Jr. – Washington
- Luke Altmyer – Illinois
- Dylan Raiola – Nebraska
- Jayden Maiava – USC Trojans
- Bryce Underwood – Michigan
- Fernando Mendoza – Indiana
- Nico Iamaleava – UCLA
I think it is fairly consensus that heading into the season, Penn State QB Drew Allar is widely considered the top signal caller in the conference. But after that, it is all up for debate.
For me, Maiava’s body of work alone should put him much higher. As a freshman at UNLV, he won the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Now, the jump from the Mountain West to the Big Ten is substantial, which is why he was not the starter at the beginning of the season. However, when he was given the keys to the offense, he went 3-1, including wins over Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, cross-town rival UCLA, and an epic comeback win over Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl.
As I said at the top, in those 4 games, Maiava was very hot and cold. Some plays made you go WOW, while others made you go, huh? But in my opinion, it was enough to warrant him a higher ranking than guys who have proven much less.
More News: Mixed Intel On Boobie Feaster? What’s The Latest With The USC Trojans Pursuit Of The Elite WR?
Julian Sayin has 12 total pass attempts. He is a highly touted prospect and will be leading the defending national champions, but with that sample size, I can’t rank him as the 2nd best in the conference.
Dante Moore started as a true freshman at UCLA. It was a disaster of a season. He transferred to Oregon and sat behind Dillon Gabriel last year. The talent and ceiling are high, but based on what we have seen so far out of him, I can’t project him as the 3rd best.
Demond Williams Jr. certainly demonstrated some nice things at Washington and has a lot of upside, but outside of the final two games, he was more of a come-off-the-bench, change-of-pace QB for the Huskies last year.
Luke Altmyer is entering his 5th college season, so he has a ton of experience. I like where he is ranked here for the most part.
Dylan Raiola had an up-and-down true freshman season, but you see the talent. He needs to get better on 3rd downs and high-pressure situations, but what true freshman doesn’t? He demonstrated enough to warrant a mid to upper-tier ranking.
I will be dropping my Big Ten QB Rankings soon, but I will say this: I have Jayden Maiava ranked 3rd.
Thoughts, Trojan Fam? Comment below!