Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard may have spurned the USC Trojans for Ohio State, but that doesn’t mean that Lincoln Riley can’t add talent to the room. He is the QB Whisperer after all.
According to Pete Nakos of On3.com, the USC Trojans are hosting UNLV Freshman Quarterback Jayden Maiava for an official visit this weekend. Maiava was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year throwing for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns this past season. He also threw 10 interceptions.
USC Trojans Hosting Jayden Maiava, Mountain West Freshman Of The Year
The 6’4, 220-pound true freshman was a three-star QB prospect out of Nevada and is now rated as a four-star transfer, according to 247 Sports.
With three to four years of eligibility remaining, this could be the best-case scenario for both Jayden Maiava and the USC Trojans. There is no denying that as things stand right now, this is Miller Moss‘s team. Any quarterback transferring in will have the opportunity to compete, but based on how Moss played in the Holiday Bowl, and the fact that he is entering his 3rd season in Lincoln Riley’s system and is beloved by the team, it will be tough for anyone else to win the job without playing at a Caleb Williams-like level.
This will definitely be a determinant for any QB with only a single season, or even two seasons, of eligibility remaining.
Because of how young Maiava is, he can come in and take his time developing with Lincoln Riley and learning under Moss before he takes over the reins. He will have the opportunity to live in So Cal, go to a world-class institution and learn from the best quarterback coach that we have seen in quite some time, maybe ever (after the 2024 Draft, 4 out of 32 starting NFL quarterbacks can be linked directly to Riley).
It’s also just a bit ironic that UNLV played Boise State in the Mountain West Title Game. Former USC QB Malachi Nelson is expected to transfer to Boise State, and now there is interest in the former UNLV QB coming to SC. Just some random irony, that is all.
I would not be surprised if Maiava commits during his campus visit, but regardless, we will keep you up to date on everything right here at the LA Football Network.
What do you think, should USC add Maiava?