USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Reveals Jayden Maiava’s Biggest Area of Growth

Five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet first arrived on campus during bowl practice and has been pushing Maiava, but Riley stated in the spring and reiterated it again at Big Ten Media Days in July that Maiava was the starting quarterback.

With another full offseason under his belt at Southern Cal, and this time with him as the presumed starter, Maiava has found a routine that suits him, which includes reading books and mediation. 

The Hawaii native has a soft-spoken, laid-back personality but has become more of a vocal presence this year. The team has rallied around Maiava, which is what you want to see with your quarterback. 

Growth in Lincoln Riley’s Offense  

Riley appeared on “Trojans Live” Monday and discussed where he’s seen Maiava grow on the field. 

“I think his decision-making and situational decision-making is probably the biggest thing,” Riley said. “That’s already starting to show up throughout spring and certainly here into fall camp. He’s not just out there trying to run plays anymore. He has a much different understanding than he did a year ago on why we’re doing things, how his decisions are going to fluctuate depending on the situation."

“Understanding where we can afford to take chances and be really aggressive and times where don’t. His overall feel for not just offense but playing the game through the offense, I Iike to say is in a very different place. That’s part of the growth we expected and challenged him and ourselves as coaches. Fall camp, it’s been pretty high level quarterback play," Riley continued.

Maiava's Elevated Confidence 

The two words that numerous players have echoed about Maiava coming out of camp are “comfortable” and “confident.” Particularly when it comes to running the offense. 

Maiava took over as the team’s starter last season after a loss to Washington in early November dropped the Trojans to 4-5 and in danger of missing out on a bowl game. The team rallied behind Maiava, winning two of the final three contests and earned them a matchup against Texas A&M in the Las Vegas Bowl. 

Maiava orchestrated a 17-point second half against the Aggies, which included a game-winning touchdown pass to receiver Kyle Ford with eight seconds remaining in regulation. He went 3-1 as a starter and gave the Trojans coaching staff a foundation to build off of. 

Maiava has taken the necessary steps to improve and has more “command of the offense," according to USC offensive coordinator Luke Huard. 

“He's done so many good things from a football standpoint since he's gotten here, but just all the different reads, and just playing with a lot of conviction, playing with a lot of confidence,” Huard said. 

Explosive Offense 

One thing that was noticeably missing from Riley’s offense was the lack of explosive plays, something we’ve become accustomed to in the Air Raid. 

Some of that was expected with the loss of former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Caleb Williams. Former USC signal-caller Miller Moss began last season as the starter. 

Although a precise passer, Moss was a non factor in the run game. The quarterbacks that have had the most success under Riley are the true dual threat ones because of how he gets them involved with RPOs and quarterback designed runs. 

Those are both something the Trojans will be able to do a lot more of with Maiava running the show. 

"Explosive plays that's what we want,” said USC receiver Makai Lemon at Big Ten Media Days. “Not just ten yards for a first down, we want touchdowns, we want the big play."