USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Names Starting Quarterback

Lincoln Riley saying that Jayden Maiava would be the Trojans starting quarterback this season doesn’t come as much as a surprise. He started USC’s final four games last season following the benching of Miller Moss, winning three of them. Another quarterback that was potentially in the running for the starting job was freshman Husan Longstreet.

In 2024, Maiava totaled 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and six interceptions while also rushing 20 times for 45 yards and four touchdowns. 2025 will be Maiava’s third collegiate season since signing with the UNLV Rebels out of high school. 

Maiava was a three-star recruit in the class of 2023. Prior to his transfer to USC, Maiava played for UNLV. In his lone season in 2023 with the Rebels, he threw for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while also rushing 73 times for 277 yards and three touchdowns. 

Now, Maiava will have the keys to the Trojans offense in his second season in Los Angeles. 

Lincoln Riley on Jayden Maiava: "Has the Respect of Everybody"

Lincoln Riley talked about Maiava on Thursday and what he would like to see from him. Riley wants Maiava to eliminate the mistakes that he had last season. He had seven total turnovers in four starts. 

“Sometimes as a quarterback, a lot of times it’s yes, you want to have great plays, right?” Riley said. “Then if your bad plays are incompletions or throwaways or occasionally taking a sack like you can still win with that.”

Riley also added that Maiava has shown “toughness” and is a “really hard worker.”

“(Maiava) showed a lot of resiliency, a lot of toughness, his arm talent, decisiveness of which he plays and how he sees things is really unique and has a chance to be really special,” Riley said. “It’s been fun to work with. He’s humble, a really hard worker, and has the respect of everybody in our building.”

Lincoln Riley has a lot of evidence of being able to get the best out of his quarterbacks. In Riley’s time at Oklahoma and USC starting in 2017, he has helped produce three different Heisman trophy winning quarterbacks that were all eventually the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. 

These three quarterbacks were Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams. All of them are currently starting quarterbacks in the NFL. 

Last season. USC went 6-6 in the regular season, capping off the year with a win over the Texas A&M Aggies in the Las Vegas Bowl. What does 2025 have in store for Riley, Maiava, and the Trojans?