Jayden Maiava ranked as top 30 player in the country for 2026 season

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Each season, Lincoln Riley cultivates an extremely productive offense, and he has a very exciting quarterback to facilitate it. In his first season as a starting quarterback at USC, Jayden Maiava showed that he is an exciting quarterback. As a result, the Trojans‘ offense was lethal last season. Maiava is getting some credit, but it still may take another great season for him to get the respect he deserves.

In a recent article, Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick highlight the 50 best players in college football heading into this season. Trojans starting quarterback Jayden Maiava cracked the list at #30:

“Maiava is back for another season in Lincoln Riley’s high-flying offense. Flanked by Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane last season, Maiava averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and recorded 27 big-time throws, ranking among the nation’s top 10 in both metrics. He’s still a bit loose with the football, as his turnover-worthy play total ranked tied for ninth in the nation (21). Still, Maiava is all but certain to put up big numbers for the Trojans again in 2026.”

In his first season as a starter, Maiava showed true flashes of being a gun-slinging quarterback in a very prolific offense. He exceeded expectations and led the Trojans to having a top offense in college football. He may not get the credit he deserves, and he is underrated in many rankings, but Maiava is one of the best quarterbacks returning this season. Maiava is looking to set the record straight this season with another productive year at USC.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Jayden Maiava ranked as top 30 player in the country for 2026 season

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