Jayden Maiava still faces skepticism from some analysts entering 2026

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Jayden Maiava of USC coexists with Dante Moore of Oregon, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, and other high-profile quarterbacks. USA TODAY Sports ranked the Big Ten quarterbacks for the 2026 season. There is clearly some skepticism about Maiava specifically and USC generally. USA TODAY ranked Maiava fifth among all Big Ten signal-callers:

"Maiava gets lost in the shuffle in the Big Ten but has an opportunity to climb this list if USC can leap back into the playoff picture. The former UNLV transfer will have plenty to work with thanks to more transfer help and the addition of one of the year’s top recruiting classes," the article stated.

USA TODAY ranked Demond Williams of Washington above Maiava, writing that "After completing 69.5% of his attempts for 3,065 yards and 28 scores last year, Williams is poised to become a national name if the Huskies do better against elite competition. UW managed just 27 combined points in losses to Ohio State, Michigan and Oregon."

Julian Sayin was ranked first, with USA TODAY writing that "Maybe the biggest hurdle to Sayin claiming the Heisman Trophy is his teammate, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is widely seen as the best pound-for-pound player in the country. To his credit, Sayin is coming off a year with 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns while averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. There’s every reason to think he’ll take another step forward in 2026 under new OSU offensive coordinator Arthur Smith."

Jayden Maiava isn't as respected as he could or should be. There's only one thing for him to do: Prove everyone wrong.

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This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Jayden Maiava still faces skepticism from some analysts entering 2026

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