Nine games into the 2024 season, USC is making a quarterback change. The Trojans are turning to former UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava over Miller Moss, who has presided over USC’s offensive efforts during its 1-4 skid over the last month, according to 247Sports.
That includes losses to Minnesota, Maryland and Washington, all of whom had losing records when they played USC. Though USC is averaging 291.3 yards passing — which ranks third in the Big Ten — and over 30 points with Moss at quarterback, Moss has thrown at least one interception in six games this season.
He had three passes intercepted in USC’s Week 10 loss to Washington while only completing 60% of his passes. Moss has failed to post at least a 65% completion percentage in four games this season. That’s hampered USC’s ability to move the ball consistently at times.
Maiava hasn’t seen the field since USC’s Oct. 25 win against Rutgers, and he hasn’t attempted a pass since the Week 2 win against Utah State when he played mop-up duty and completed eight of his 11 pass attempts for 66 yards. He also rushed for a 7-yard touchdown.
Maiava, a redshirt sophomore, isn’t short on experience, though. He was the 2023 Mountain West Freshman of the Year at UNLV while guiding the Rebels to their first-ever appearance in the MWC Championship Game.
Here’s what to know about Maiava as he guides USC down a crucial late-season stretch, and what he could bring to the Trojans’ offense.
Whirlwind transfer journey leads to Los Angeles
After his breakout redshirt freshman campaign at UNLV, Maiava entered the transfer portal on Jan. 1. Seven days later, he announced his commitment to Georgia, seemingly giving the Bulldogs a top backup option for incumbent starting quarterback Carson Beck.
USC, with a huge quarterback vacancy to fill after losing Caleb Williams to the NFL, didn’t give up on working Maiava, however. Its efforts paid off on Jan. 9 when he flipped his pledge to the Trojans less than 24 hours after the Georgia commitment.
“I think he just decided this is really where he wanted to be,” USC coach Lincoln Riley said in the spring. “The recruiting process can be tough on guys. Emotions and all that can really play a factor, and I think it probably did for him a little bit. And especially for transfers, where it happens so quickly.”
Maiava stuck with USC and battled Moss for the starting job during the spring. He threw for 172 yards and one touchdown with one interception in USC’s spring game.
The Trojans eventually announced Moss as their starter in August, a couple of weeks before the 2024 season opened, and Maiava was thrown into the backup role.
What Maiava brings to USC
“Raw” is a good word to describe Maiava’s game. He has an ideal frame at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds and all the physical traits you would want from a Power Four starting quarterback, including a big arm and above-average rushing ability.
But it was clear during the 2023 season that he was still putting everything together. He did throw for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he also had 10 interceptions and four multi-interception games. He also wasn’t entirely efficient with his opportunities given that he had five games in which he failed to complete at least 60% of his passes.
He certainly will keep defenses honest with his legs — more so than Moss, at least. He had 277 yards and three touchdowns on the ground last season; by comparison, Moss has six rushing attempts in the past four games, two of which went in the box score as sacks.
Riley’s offense operates best when he has a quarterback that can, at the very least, extend plays. Former starters like Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts and Caleb Williams were all comfortable on their feet and outside of structure.
A lot of Maiava’s inconsistencies in 2023 could be chalked up to youth. There’s the expectation, if not the hope, that he’s grown behind the scenes while becoming more and more comfortable in Riley’s system.
USC is also on a bye this week, which gives the team an opportunity to give Maiava plenty of first-team reps ahead of Nov. 16’s game against Nebraska.
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