USC finished the 2025 season at 9-3 and 7-2 in conference play. That was not good enough for a College Football Playoff berth. Now, players are looking forward to the future, with multiple key components of the roster declaring for the NFL Draft, including Ja'Kobi Lane, a top wide receiver. They will have one key part of the offense back in 2026, though.
According to Erik McKinney of On3, quarterback Jayden Maiava will be returning next year to the Trojans. Earlier this month, head coach Lincoln Riley spoke of the impact of their quarterback.
“He grew a lot. Learned to play in different scenarios. He played with a lot of different lineups throughout the year, especially up front and then obviously the big backfield change after the Michigan game,” said the USC head coach. “We played against a run of really good defensive teams for a while, which you’re gonna do in this league. I thought he largely responded very well, was a much-improved player from the four games that we saw the year before. Growing as a leader. Growing in his ability to manage the game, to understand how we’re being attacked and how we want to attack, understanding of the offense, just all of it. It’s a good room…He did a lot of great things.”
Maiava threw for 3,431 yards as a junior, with 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In his college career, which includes a freshman season at UNLV, he has thrown for 7,717 yards with 51 scores. He has also found the end zone on the ground 13 times.
This year, Maiava was a major part of a top-quality USC offense. They were tenth in the nation in points per game while sitting sixth in yards per game. They were also fifth in the pass. While the quarterback will be missing some parts as they graduate or move on to the NFL, having the quarterback situation in Los Angeles figured out already is a huge step for Riley.
The Trojans finish their season on December 30th against TCU in the Valero Alamo Bowl. With one of the best recruiting classes in the nation coming in, plus the return of Maiava, they hope to be playing in a bigger game next year.
