Former USC Trojan Star Shares Confidence in Jayden Maiava: 'Full Faith'

During Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas, Maiava was officially ruled as the starter, per coach Lincoln Riley.

On an episode of The Victory Podcast, Kessler shared words of wisdom for the junior quarterback during a time of pressure ahead of this season.

"This is a make or break year for Jayden Maiava." Kessler said. "This is your one shot to go out there and prove that you can be the guy at USC that you deserve to be the starting quarterback for the University of Southern California. There is a lot of pressure that comes with that. There's a lot of scrutiny.”

Kessler Has Advice for Maiava Ahead of Season

Kessler was another elite signal-caller to impact the Trojans program. The Heisman Trophy Candidate played under elite offensive minds like Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, where he accumulated a 68.7 completion percentage, 10,339 yards and 88 touchdowns.

After four seasons with the Trojans, Kessler declared for the 2016 NFL Draft and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the third round. Kessler was then traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018 for one season before retiring with the New England Patriots in 2019, where he was a backup for seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady.

Maiava transferred to USC following an impressive season with UNLV, where he finished his two seasons with 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns, Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-Conference honors.

In 2023, The Las Vegas native sent the Rebels to the Mountain West Conference Championship for the first time in program history, along with their first nine-win season since 1984.

Even after a few promising flashes and four starts for the Trojans last season, Maiava has settled into the starting quarterback position well. Kessler shared a meaningful message for Maiava, emphasizing what is most important when facing immense pressure.

"This is my message to Jayden. What I did was I trusted my coaches. I leaned on my teammates, but I blocked everything else out." Kessler said. "We always joke about me blocking people on Twitter and the media, but it was so I kept my blinders on and I focused on what mattered and that was my teammates, my coaches, and the Trojan family. Nothing else mattered.”

Kessler-Maiava Parallels Could Signal Success for USC

What Maiava and Kessler both share is their poise. Kessler was known to thrive under pressure during his collegiate career and performed even in the midst of doubt. When Maiava was thrown into the fire after Louisville quarterback Miller Moss was benched, he proved his talent quickly and gave Trojan fans hope when everything was on the line -- something that is difficult to accomplish so late in a season.

Like Kessler, who was led by Kiffin and Sarkisian, Maiava is able to lean on Riley for guidance going into a full season leading USC. Riley is best known for his ability to develop elite quarterbacks on his team. He boasts three Heisman Trophy winners in Arizona Cardinals Kyler Murray, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield and Chicago Bears Caleb Williams.

When asked about his confidence in Maiava’s abilities this season, Kessler didn’t hesitate to offer praise.

"I'll put it on the table right now. I believe in him. I have full faith in him." Kessler said. "I think he's going to go out there and get the job done. I know the Trojan family is going to believe in him and ride with him and they're going to follow him.”