USC’s beginning quarterback is returning for an additional season in 2026.
Jayden Maiava made it official Tuesday as the college introduced that he had re-signed with this system for the upcoming season, his third with the Trojans.
Maiava led USC to a 9-3 document in his first full season as starter after taking on the job in the course of the ultimate month of the 2023 season. He threw for 3,431 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He additionally added six scores on the bottom.
Maiava struggled in every of the Trojans’ three losses on the highway in 2025. However when requested about his progress final month, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley credited Maiava for main “probably the greatest offenses within the nation.”
“He’s been a giant a part of that,” Riley stated. “He’s enjoying good. He’s nonetheless studying. He can play higher. However he’s persevering with to provide us possibilities to win each week.”
Maiava did enhance considerably from his redshirt sophomore season, elevating his completion fee almost 7% whereas including two yards per move try. His robust efficiency was sufficient to boost questions of whether or not Maiava may declare for the NFL draft. Some prognosticators considered Maiava as one of many higher potential quarterback prospects in a draft particularly skinny on passers.
As a substitute, Maiava will run it again at USC, the place the Trojans are set to return most of their dynamic 2025 offense in 2026 — the exception being their high two wideouts Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane, who each declared for the draft. USC introduced earlier this week that it had re-signed No. 1 operating again Waymond Jordan and receivers Tanook Hines and Zacharyus Williams for the 2026 season.
On the helm of that offense, it’s probably that Maiava will open subsequent season on the shortlist for the Heisman Trophy.
Maiava’s return now turns the eye to five-star backup Husan Longstreet, who can have a choice to make about his future at USC. It’s unclear if Longstreet can be prepared to attend one other season behind Maiava.
Final month, when requested concerning the problem of conserving two high passers, Riley made a plea for Longstreet to remain. He talked about how quarterbacks he coached had waited their flip — and thrived due to it.
“Each one in all them, all the fellows that did all of the issues, all of them had that point,” Riley stated. “And if you happen to ask them now, perhaps then they wished to be enjoying after all, the competitor in them. However if you happen to ask them now, they’re all rattling comfortable they’d time and it made a giant distinction. As a result of when it grew to become their time, they had been prepared.
“For any participant, particularly a quarterback, I don’t know if this could be the appropriate time to depart this place. This factor is getting fairly good. And I feel lots of people acknowledge that, each in what we have now now and what we’re bringing in, the place this factor goes.”
