USC’s Jayden Maiava Snubbed From Key Preseason Watchlist List

As the USC Trojans head into what they hope to be a very successful season, one of the more interesting storylines will be the performance of quarterback Jayden Maiava. 

Across the college football landscape, there are several quarterbacks that I’ve shown the ability to take over games, and Maiava has also shown that promise. However, it seems that there are some doubts on whether Maiava can assert himself as a clear top 10 quarterback in the country.

Top 10 Heisman Trophy Contenders

With this season still a few months away, ESPN decided to release a list of the top 10 early Heisman Trophy contenders who could realistically win the award in 2026. Even with the performance that Maiava had in 2025, he was left off the list entirely and does have some work to do if he wants to prove this ranking to be wrong.

On the list, there are several notable players, including Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, Miami quarterback Darian Mensah, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton, and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt.

Currently, Manning sits at the top of the list with his elite, dual-threat ability and a great Texas roster around him.

 As far as the Big Ten goes, Moore sits in the third spot as Oregon appears to be ready for a crucial season, as they hope to bring home a national title. Ohio State also has two players on the list, with Smith in the fifth spot and Sayin ranking sixth on the list. The Buckeyes consistently have top-level talent, and with the quarterback-receiver combo of Sayin and Smith, there is no doubt that Ohio State could have another championship-level roster in 2026. 

While many players on this list are deserving, Maiava has consistently progressed and shown that he has the ability to compete with the top level of college football. Even with the doubt that some people seem to have on Maiava, he has one kid advantage that could help his development. Take a major step heading into next season.

Lincoln Riley’s Quarterback Development

One of the biggest things that Maiava has going for him is the fact that USC coach Lincoln Riley has consistently developed quarterbacks to find elite success in college football and solid success in the NFL. 

Three of the more significant players Riley has developed are Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams, who all won the Heisman Trophy and were later selected with the number one overall pick in the NFL draft. The interesting part about each of these players is that they all had different skill sets that Riley had to adapt to. Even with the changes Riley had to make, he was still able to find success with each of them.

As Riley continues to develop Maiava, he can lean on the lessons he learned from his previous seasons of coaching, which could help Maiava to potentially become one of the more consistent and well-rounded quarterbacks in the Big Ten. 

Quarterback Jayden Maiava’s Opportunity

As Maiava enters the season, many analysts and experts do seem to have some doubts about whether he could perform in the Big Ten, but the schedule USC has will allow him to prove the doubters wrong.

On the Trojan schedule, there are several tests which include home matchups with Oregon and Ohio State, and a road matchup with Indiana. The rest of the schedule does seem manageable, but USC’s season could very well come down to Maiava’s performances in these three games.

In these games, Maiava will be competing against some great quarterbacks, including Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, Oregon’s Dante Moore, and Indiana’s Josh Hoover. With the opportunities that Maiava has in these games, he must take advantage and perform to his maximum potential.

During these games, if Maiava can perform to his best capability, there’s a great chance that USC can win at least one of these big-time games and potentially all three. In addition to how important the performance of Maiava is, Riley must do a great job putting him in positions to succeed and create consistent offense for the Trojans.

As Maiava leads USC into next season, if he can perform to his potential and Riley consistently crafts great game plans, the Trojans may be in a position to beat some of the elite teams in the country and make a run at a College Football Playoff berth. 

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