Latest news with #Maiava
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lincoln Riley affirms belief in Jayden Maiava as USC's QB1
Lincoln Riley affirms belief in Jayden Maiava as USC's QB1 Lincoln Riley tries to do with Jayden Maiava what he couldn't quite achieve with Miller Moss at USC. It has been an interesting offseason for the USC Trojans at the quarterback position. After seeing Miller Moss, who started the team's first nine games in 2024, transfer to Louisville, the Trojans added five-star freshman Husan Longstreet and veteran transfer Sam Huard. However, the team's most likely starter to begin next season will be redshirt junior Jayden Maiava. After transferring in from UNLV last offseason, Maiava started the final four games of the 2024 season for USC, and now enters 2025 with a full year of experience in head coach Lincoln Riley's system. Following a recent practice, Riley affirmed his belief in Maiava as the Trojans' starter. "Jayden's clearly the No. 1 quarterback right now," Riley said. In his four starts at the end of last season, Maiava did a lot of very good things, but also some very bad things. The Las Vegas Bowl against Texas A&M was a microcosm of this, where he had several really bad turnovers early on, but made up for them at the end by leading a game-winning touchdown drive in the game's final minutes. Entering 2025 as USC's presumptive starter, Maiava will look to build off of the good things that he did last season while cutting back on the mistakes. If Maiava is able to do this, he could emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jayden Maiava shows improvement as he fights to retain USC starting quarterback job
When he was first announced as USC's starting quarterback last November, Jayden Maiava stepped into a pretty thorny situation. The team already had rallied behind Miller Moss, who spent the previous three seasons earning teammates' trust. Plus, he'd have only a few games to prove himself, and USC desperately needed immediate results. 'That's a hard thing for anyone to do,' said wideout Ja'Kobi Lane, a close friend of Moss. Those four starts, as uneven as they sometimes were, proved enough for Maiava to retain the title as the Trojans' presumptive quarterback this spring, even as USC added five-star freshman Husan Longstreet and experienced transfer Sam Huard to the fold. But what's happened in the three months since ultimately may say more about where Maiava is headed as a quarterback — and whether he'll keep the job for good this season. Maiava's second act started in January with speculation that he was entertaining the idea of entering the transfer portal. But he brushed off that notion Tuesday. Read more: USC makes season-ending statement in thrilling Las Vegas Bowl comeback over Texas A&M 'Shoot, the transfer portal is crazy nowadays,' Maiava said. 'I usually just don't pay any mind or attention to it. I just kind of go about my business and stay out the way.' For Maiava, that meant spending as much time in the film room as possible. 'Countless hours,' the quarterback said. It was on film that he could see how often he got 'happy feet' in the pocket during his first season at USC. He worked to pinpoint the reasons for head-scratching mistakes that seemed to follow him every week. Namely the back-breaking interceptions, three of which he threw in the bowl game. He was, as Lincoln Riley said Monday, 'his own toughest critic.' Though the coach was quick to point out that self-criticism was useful only to a point with Maiava. 'He's a guy who sometimes he can almost overdo it,' Riley said. 'He naturally has that ability to really be critical of himself, to really put everything he can into the areas he doesn't. You're never going to see him like, 'Oh, I'm so good at this, I'm going to take it for granted and not put work into it.' Like he's the complete opposite of that. Which is great. He's a driven worker and he wants to play a lot better for us than he did last year. And he played pretty darn good. So that's a pretty good sign.' Maiava still will have to compete through preseason camp, Riley clarified, if only because 'there always has to be a competition.' 'Now does Jayden come in a step ahead in experience and all that of the other guys in the room? Of course he does,' Riley said Monday during the "Trojans Live" radio show. 'But the best guy is going to play, and that's, to me, No. 1 and that should always be the case.' Longstreet may be the most likely to push Maiava, given his pedigree coming out of Corona Centennial High. He also spent as much time as he could at USC's bowl practices, soaking it all in. Read more: USC's new GM convinced Trojans are 'sleeping giant' of college football That extra work and time has paid off. "He's way further ahead than most guys would be at this age,' Riley said. 'His ability to communicate and manage the group right now as a young guy is pretty impressive.' Where that may come naturally to Longstreet, it's been an adjustment for Maiava since stepping into the starting role. But teammates and coaches have noticed a major difference since last season. 'You certainly see him just more confident, more assertive as a leader and a player now,' Riley said. 'That's what we need him to be.' Whether that's enough to keep the job as USC's quarterback, only time will tell. As Jahkeem Stewart made his way up the tunnel Tuesday for his first spring practice at USC, it was hard not to marvel at the hulking, 17-year old defensive end. At 6 feet 6 and 290 pounds, Stewart should 'no doubt' have an opportunity to contribute this season, Riley said. The question is how quickly he'll be able to pick up USC's defense. 'He's in the facility darn near all day now,' Riley said. 'He's got the talent to [make an impact], and now it's just going to be putting in the work and building him up to be a consistent enough player to trust to put him out there on Saturday.' Defensive end Anthony Lucas is expected to miss most of spring as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury that cost him the second half of last season. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Jayden Maiava shows improvement as he fights to retain USC starting quarterback job
When he was first announced as USC's starting quarterback last November, Jayden Maiava stepped into a pretty thorny situation. The team already had rallied behind Miller Moss, who spent the previous three seasons earning teammates' trust. Plus, he'd have only a few games to prove himself, and USC desperately needed immediate results. 'That's a hard thing for anyone to do,' said wideout Ja'Kobi Lane, a close friend of Moss. Those four starts, as uneven as they sometimes were, proved enough for Maiava to retain the title as the Trojans' presumptive quarterback this spring, even as USC added five-star freshman Husan Longstreet and experienced transfer Sam Huard to the fold. But what's happened in the three months since ultimately may say more about where Maiava is headed as a quarterback — and whether he'll keep the job for good this season. Maiava's second act started in January with speculation that he was entertaining the idea of entering the transfer portal. But he brushed off that notion Tuesday. 'Shoot, the transfer portal is crazy nowadays,' Maiava said. 'I usually just don't pay any mind or attention to it. I just kind of go about my business and stay out the way.' For Maiava, that meant spending as much time in the film room as possible. 'Countless hours,' the quarterback said. It was on film that he could see how often he got 'happy feet' in the pocket during his first season at USC. He worked to pinpoint the reasons for head-scratching mistakes that seemed to follow him every week. Namely the back-breaking interceptions, three of which he threw in the bowl game. He was, as Lincoln Riley said Monday, 'his own toughest critic.' Though the coach was quick to point out that self-criticism was useful only to a point with Maiava. 'He's a guy who sometimes he can almost overdo it,' Riley said. 'He naturally has that ability to really be critical of himself, to really put everything he can into the areas he doesn't. You're never going to see him like, 'Oh, I'm so good at this, I'm going to take it for granted and not put work into it.' Like he's the complete opposite of that. Which is great. He's a driven worker and he wants to play a lot better for us than he did last year. And he played pretty darn good. So that's a pretty good sign.' Maiava still will have to compete through preseason camp, Riley clarified, if only because 'there always has to be a competition.' 'Now does Jayden come in a step ahead in experience and all that of the other guys in the room? Of course he does,' Riley said Monday during the 'Trojans Live' radio show. 'But the best guy is going to play, and that's, to me, No. 1 and that should always be the case.' Longstreet may be the most likely to push Maiava, given his pedigree coming out of Corona Centennial High. He also spent as much time as he could at USC's bowl practices, soaking it all in. That extra work and time has paid off. 'He's way further ahead than most guys would be at this age,' Riley said. 'His ability to communicate and manage the group right now as a young guy is pretty impressive.' Where that may come naturally to Longstreet, it's been an adjustment for Maiava since stepping into the starting role. But teammates and coaches have noticed a major difference since last season. 'You certainly see him just more confident, more assertive as a leader and a player now,' Riley said. 'That's what we need him to be.' Whether that's enough to keep the job as USC's quarterback, only time will tell. As Jahkeem Stewart made his way up the tunnel Tuesday for his first spring practice at USC, it was hard not to marvel at the hulking, 17-year old defensive end. At 6 feet 6 and 290 pounds, Stewart should 'no doubt' have an opportunity to contribute this season, Riley said. The question is how quickly he'll be able to pick up USC's defense. 'He's in the facility darn near all day now,' Riley said. 'He's got the talent to [make an impact], and now it's just going to be putting in the work and building him up to be a consistent enough player to trust to put him out there on Saturday.' Defensive end Anthony Lucas is expected to miss most of spring as he continues to recover from a lower leg injury that cost him the second half of last season.
Los Angeles Times
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times of Troy: The questions you should be asking as spring USC football begins
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to the Times of Troy newsletter. I'm Ryan Kartje, the USC beat writer at The Times, and while March Madness rolls on for the Women of Troy tonight, I wanted to take a brief step away from basketball this week to talk about something far less consequential, and yet still front of mind for many of you … spring football. USC opens its spring football practice Tuesday, determined apparently to test the endurance of those also covering the Trojans' tournament run. The school won't hold a spring game in April, meaning any observations from the media will be limited to only the 15 minutes of stretching and drills at the start of practice. So we aren't likely to get many definitive answers this spring. But here are the questions I'll be asking over the next several weeks, as we get our first few glimpses of USC football in 2025. Lincoln Riley expressed confidence in Jayden Maiava after the sophomore started the final four games — and won three — last season. But he gave plenty of reasons over that stretch to question whether he's the answer long term, and we haven't heard much yet about Maiava's approach this offseason. He'll get the chance to make a statement this spring as the QB1 in camp. But all eyes be on five-star freshman Husan Longstreet, who has been with the team since bowl practices. If Maiava is still just as raw this spring, it's not impossible to think that Longstreet could get a look sometime this season. Don't discount Utah transfer Sam Huard, either. He has the recruiting pedigree, at the very least. Not to mention a family member at offensive coordinator who probably knows how best to take advantage of his talent. He'll battle with Longstreet to be the backup. Woody Marks is off to the NFL, and Quinten Joyner left in the transfer portal, leaving USC with a brand new backfield to break in this spring and no sense yet of a pecking order at the position. The Trojans added the top junior college back on the market in Waymond Jordan, who's coming off a sophomore season in which he led the nation in yards (1,674), yards per game (134.5) and touchdowns (20 in 12 games). He feels like the likely 1A to start the spring, while New Mexico transfer Eli Sanders should step in as a strong 1B after averaging over 7 yards per carry with the Lobos last season. What that means for sophomore Bryan Jackson is still to be seen. Jackson played a lead role in the Vegas Bowl, but may have to settle for third fiddle in the Trojans' offense this season. The early glimpses of Stewart in USC's social content have been enough to work some fans into a lather, and, well … I don't blame them. At 6-6, 290 pounds, Stewart looks nothing like a freshman, let alone a 17-year old who reclassified, skipped a year of school and only played in 12 varsity football games. We have no idea how quickly he'll be able to pick up D'Anton Lynn's defense, but from a physical standpoint, Stewart probably was ready to improve USC's front by age 14. He'll have to work his way up the depth chart first, with Kameryn Fountain, Anthony Lucas and Braylan Shelby all returning with significant experience. But something tells me it won't be long. As for the other freshmen in camp, I'll be curious to see how quickly cornerback Alex Graham stands out among a crowded group of corners. He's earned rave reviews since signing with USC in December. Up front, four-star tackles Aaron Dunn and Alex Payne should also get a shot to prove whether they can push Tobias Raymond at right tackle. No position group has more question marks for USC, which must replace all three of its starting corners, while also filling one starting safety spot. The return of Kamari Ramsey is a major lift at the other safety spot, but that's about where the certainties end. San Jose State transfer DJ Harvey will presumably take one of the three starting corner spots, but the other two are up for grabs between the likes of Braylon Conley, DeCarlos Nicholson, Marcelles Williams and Prophet Brown, as well as freshmen Graham and Trestin Castro. Could USC add another corner in the transfer portal this spring? It's possible. But for now, USC is likely to cycle through all its options, in hopes of finding something that fits. —The USC-Connecticut rematch in the Elite Eight feels inevitable. There's a reason why Lindsay Gottlieb wasn't particularly happy about USC's seeding, and a lot of that has to do with what likely awaits the Trojans in two more rounds. The Huskies are currently the betting favorite to win the whole tournament as a No. 2 seed and are one of the few teams with the necessary firepower to keep up with the Trojans. Assuming USC beats Mississippi State on Monday night, it will first face Kansas State in the Sweet 16 after the Wildcats upended Kentucky in overtime. But all the signs are pointing toward an epic Elite Eight rematch after that. Get your popcorn ready. —Sony is suing USC for copyright infringement for using songs from its label in USC athletics videos on social media. The lawsuit claims USC allowed the use of 170 unlicensed recordings in 283 videos on social media, including hits by Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Usher, Harry Styles and Celine Dion. Among the videos flagged for using unlicensed recordings of Sony's songs was 'Arrival of the Trojan,' the slick hype video that USC football played all over social media and at every home game last season. Sony says it warned USC on numerous occasions about using unlicensed songs. Now it's asking for $42 million — or $150,000 per song. —USC has raised $174 million of its $225-million goal for its Athletic West capital project. That's a lot of moolah and includes two new donations of $5 million (!!) or more. USC was doing so well raising funds for the project that it upped its fundraising goal from $200 million to $225 million. A source told The Times that the budget of the project hasn't changed from the original $200 million, but rather USC is just looking to raise more money. Rayah Marshall at the forefront of USC's smothering, 'Mad Dog' pressure defense USC shakes off slow start and JuJu Watkins injury scare to rout UNC Greensboro With teams focusing on JuJu Watkins, Kennedy Smith is USC's March Madness X factor Folks, we've got an early entrant in the show of the year race. 'Adolescence' begins with a 13-year-old boy accused of murder and walks the viewer through every step of the anguish that comes from his arrest. Each of the four episodes of this Netflix limited series is shot entirely in a single tracking shot, in real-time, which makes for a unique viewing experience. I don't use this word lightly, but this show is a masterpiece. It gets my highest recommendation.
