Lincoln Riley’s USC fall camp this year has been buzzing with energy and a real sense of progress. From the get-go, Riley has praised the team’s conditioning and discipline. He pointed out how seriously the players have committed themselves right out of the summer. The coaching staff is using the last stretch of camp. That includes scrimmages to finalize the starting lineup and see who separates themselves among receivers and cornerbacks. And that remains the key area of focus, as QB Jayden Maiava is going to be at the helm of the offense.
He led the Trojans to a 3-1 record as a starter last year. And that was enough for Riley to give him the starter tag. But Riley still has some challenges for Maiava, who is both optimistic and critically engaged with his quarterback’s development. During the recent fall camp press conference, Riley was candid about his starting quarterback. According to him, Jayden Maiava is learning the nuances of the team’s new players, improving his decision-making, and getting more in sync with his teammates.
“He’s practiced really well,” Riley said. “I mean, he’s practicing at a high level. I mean, we’re pretty picky, so there’s always, you know, he could go 30 for 30 for 500 yards and eight touchdowns, and we’d find a bunch of stuff wrong with it.” Last season, Maiava showed flashes of brilliance, which is non-debatable. But some inconsistency made the offense boom or bust. In four starts, he threw for 1,201 yards with 11 touchdowns but had six interceptions. Those turnovers, especially in critical games against rivals like Notre Dame, cost the Trojans. Riley and the staff have pushed Maiava to trim those costly mistakes and elevate his mental game to avoid letting errors stall drives.
Maiava spent the offseason focusing hard on mental toughness, confidence, and leadership. He read books on mindset and practiced achieving a “neutral mindset.” It’s where he doesn’t get too high or low emotionally after mistakes. This has made him more resilient on the field. For example, in the Las Vegas Bowl, after throwing three interceptions early, he led a strong comeback with three touchdown drives late in the game. This mental growth is crucial given the pressure and complexity of leading USC’s offense. “I think one of the big things right now for him is learning our guys,” Riley continues. “Especially some of our new guys, you know, who weren’t with us last year. And getting on the same page and getting a feel for how they set up routes and how you’re going to attack, you know, different coverages with different throws. But he’s practicing at a high level.”
USC brought in a strong group of new wide receivers this year. That includes redshirt freshmen Brady Jung, Collin Fasse, Xavier Jordan, and Seth Zamora, plus junior transfer Prince Strachan from Boise State. He has already proven it with 37 catches for 578 yards and 3 TDs in his career. Now, that’s a lot of new chemistry to build on for Jayden. Each receiver has their own style of running routes and timing. Thus, Jayden has to learn how each sets up routes and timing patterns, which is crucial. Plus, USC’s receiving corps also includes returning key players like Ja’Kobi Lane, who had an impressive 2024. Furthermore, there are new role players like Jay Fair, Jaden Richardson, and Josiah Zamora stepping up this season.
The pressure on his shoulders is immense. And honestly, Riley’s desperate push to Maiava is exactly the kind of heat that can forge a great quarterback if he embraces it right. Being the starting QB at USC means leading the offense for one of college football’s most iconic programs. Coaches and former players like Cody Kessler have echoed this sentiment. Jayden must own that role with confidence and not shy away from the spotlight. But Riley’s pickiness keeps Maiava and the team grinding.
Jayden Maiava leading the Trojans through adversity
Jayden Maiava is stepping up and truly taking matters into his own hands at USC this fall. He has spent a full year with the team, soaking in the offense and building chemistry with his teammates. The Trojans’ starting QB walks into this season with a new swagger, confidence, and leadership mindset that head coach Lincoln Riley and the whole staff are leaning on heavily. Riley talks about how Jayden “feels like it’s his team” this year, and you can see it in how he carries himself in practice.
This shift didn’t happen overnight. Jayden had to work hard not just on his physical skills but on his mental game, too. It’s a full transformation from just being a talented player to someone who commands respect and leads with intention. What’s most impressive is Jayden’s attitude amidst adversity. That is especially with injuries hitting the team, like the loss of key defender Prophet Brown. “Yeah, I think just staying present at the moment and handling what we can handle and just control it the best we can,” Maiava’s message on Brown’s injury.
“I think as a whole, as a team, we just have to be better. You know, we start pretty fast, but I think there’s an extra gear we could kick.” And another significant piece of being a leader comes from building chemistry with his teammates. And especially with a talented receiving corps led by guys like Ja’Kobi Lane and Makai Lemon. Quick and seamless rapport with his receivers will allow Jayden to command the offense more smoothly. And also open up bigger play opportunities. Jayden’s development is boosted by Riley’s proven quarterback mentorship, known for molding quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield, Caleb Williams, and Kyler Murray into NFL-ready stars.
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