untitled-design-132.png
Imagn Images

USC quarterback Jayden Maiava will bypass the 2026 NFL Draft and instead return to school next season, the team announced Tuesday. The Trojans have "re-signed" several players in recent days, with Maiava and running back Waymond Jordan among the most important as the program looks ahead to Year 5 under coach Lincoln Riley. 

With the Alamo Bowl against TCU ahead, Maiava has had an impressive 2025 season, throwing for 3,431 yards and 23 touchdowns to just eight interceptions with six rushing touchdowns while providing stability at the position in his first year as the Trojans' full-time starter. 

Maiava began last season as the backup to Miller Moss before being inserted into the starting lineup for the final three games of the regular season and the Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M. In the 35-31 bowl victory, Maiava impressed with 295 yards passing and four touchdowns.

By starting Maiava and benching Moss -- who went on to transfer to Louisville -- Riley was taking a risk. If he didn't play the UNLV transfer down the stretch of the 2024 season, he ran the risk of Maiava walking away before he started in a single game. Riley's gamble paid off, and Maiava will enter next season as USC's undisputed starter -- and potentially one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

USC is set at quarterback entering 2026

While USC can comfortably say Maiava is the undisputed starter heading into next season, his return logically takes the Trojans out of the transfer market for a starting-caliber quarterback. There have been multiple quarterbacks who have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, including Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby and Florida's DJ Lagway. 

While Riley has used the transfer quarterback market to his advantage throughout his career (see Maiava, Caleb Williams, Jalen Hurts, etc.), it would be surprising to see the Trojans make a splash at that position this time around.

College football's transfer portal just hit dizzying speeds: What you need to know about big QB shakeup
Chris Hummer
College football's transfer portal just hit dizzying speeds: What you need to know about big QB shakeup

Part of the reason is the presence of Husan Longstreet, USC's prized quarterback recruit from the 2025 cycle. Longstreet, rated a five-star prospect by 247Sports, appeared in four games this season and got extensive run during USC's opener against Missouri State, completing all nine of his pass attempts for 69 yards and a touchdown. Because he appeared in just four games, this will be a redshirt year for him. USC also signed four-star quarterback Jonas Williams in its 2026 class. 

High expectations for USC heading into 2026

Maiava returning coupled with the fact that USC just finished with the No. 1 overall recruiting class in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports, the pressure is on Riley to produce results -- more specifically, a berth in the College Football Playoff. 

USC has never participated in the CFP since the four-team format was introduced back in 2014, but Riley was plucked away from Oklahoma to push the Trojans back into the top tier of the sport. So far, he has under-delivered with a 35-17 overall record across his four seasons. The Trojans won 11 games in Riley's first season at the helm before dropping to 8-5 in 2023 and 7-6 in 2024, USC's first year as a member of the Big Ten. With a win over TCU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30, Riley can secure his second 10-win season with USC.

While Maiava will be back in the fold, USC will likely have to replace its top three pass catchers from this season as wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane and tight end Lake McRee have already declared for the draft, while Makai Lemon -- this year's Biletnikoff Award recipient -- projects as a first-round pick. Looking ahead to next season, could Tanook Hines emerge as a go-to target? Hines, a freshman, has 28 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns this season and should be in line for a larger role in 2026 as Maiava tries to boost his stock among a 2027 NFL Draft crop that is projecting to be full of star power.