Jayden Maiava follows in his Polynesian heroes' footsteps when he becomes USC's starting quarterback

LOS ANGELES — Jayden Maiava fondly remembers Marcus Mariota winning the Heisman Trophy at Oregon. A few years later, he cheered while Tua Tagovailoa led Alabama to a national championship.

“Being able to watch those two great quarterbacks play at the highest level there is, it was definitely a blessing for me,” he said.

Maiava naturally rooted for two fellow Hawaii-born passers, and he dreamed of following them to the biggest stages in college football.

He'll take the next step on that journey Saturday. Maiava will become the first Polynesian quarterback to start for Southern California when the Trojans (4-5, 2-5 Big Ten) face Nebraska (5-4, 2-4) at the Coliseum. He might even be facing the Cornhuskers' Dylan Raiola, another Hawaii-born quarterback with Polynesian heritage, although Raiola's status is unclear because of injury.

“It’s a privilege to be the first Polynesian quarterback here at SC,” Maiava said. “It’s big shoes for me to fill, but with the great team we have, with the great players and coaches we have, takes a lot off. It makes my job easier.”

After starring as a freshman at UNLV last year, Maiava is getting his shot at a rough time for USC. With four losses in their five games before last week’s bye, the Trojans are desperate to salvage something from their second straight wasted season under coach Lincoln Riley, who has yet to contend for a national title in three years in Los Angeles.

That’s why Maiava has replaced Miller Moss, who sits 10th in the nation with 283.9 yards passing per game. Moss hasn’t played poorly in his first season as a starter, but he also hasn’t been extraordinary — and he has thrown seven interceptions during the Trojans’ five-game slump.

“We’ve just been pleased with his progression,” Riley said of Maiava. “We just felt like it was the right time for him to have this opportunity. Definitely was a benefit to have the bye week and the chance to pump some reps into him, and I think he’s handled it well so far. We’re excited to see him play.”

The spread elements of Riley’s offense seem to be a better fit for Maiava than for Moss, who excels more in the pocket. Maiava has no problem getting out and running: He rushed for 277 yards and three TDs at UNLV, and he rushed for another score during his only extensive playing time for USC late in its blowout win over Utah State in September.

“He’s a really big playmaker, and I’m excited to see what he’s going to do,” receiver Duce Robinson said.

Maiava will have two weeks of practice as the starter heading into his first start, and he has stretched that experience by going through extensive post-practice workouts with his receivers, including playmaker Makai Lemon and speedster Zachariah Branch.

“Time is valuable right now for me,” Maiava said. “We're just trying to get a jump ahead.”

Maiava's teammates all seem uniformly convinced he will thrive under the spotlight at USC — and his receivers never miss a chance to bring up his extraordinary arm strength.

“He can throw that deep ball for sure,” Lemon said. “His arm talent is crazy. You saw it from the first day he got here. You see it on the field.”

Maiava is USC’s first Polynesian quarterback, but he embraces the school’s long history of star Polynesian players including Junior Seau, Troy Polamalu, Rey Maualuga, Su’a Cravens, Tuli Tuipulotu and Talanoa Hufanga. Maiava’s uncle, Kaluka, also played four seasons as a USC linebacker from 2005-08.

After growing up on the islands, Maiava graduated from high school in Las Vegas and signed with UNLV. He redshirted in 2022 before he cracked the lineup in September 2023, becoming the freshman starter for the Rebels' best team since the 1980s.

After UNLV went 9-5 and won the Mountain West title, Maiava took a chaotic trip through the transfer portal in January. A day after his father announced Maiava was transferring to Georgia, the quarterback chose USC instead.

Maiava gets USC's starting job at an auspicious time in the schedule. The Trojans are playing for bowl eligibility with their top two rivalry games looming later in November against UCLA and Notre Dame.

If he succeeds, Maiava could lock up the starting job for next season. If he struggles, he is likely to be in another quarterback competition in the spring.

Maiava is looking forward to the challenge.

“I think I’ve made huge strides,” he said. “I ask a lot of questions. Coach Riley and (quarterbacks) coach (Luke) Huard obviously do such a great job, and it’s really just up to me to go execute our plan. They give it all to us, and we’ve just got to go out there and execute.”