Jayden Maiava, USC QB: the 2026 season story
Jayden Maiava is a senior quarterback for USC (Big Ten). He ranks 5th of 365 quarterbacks in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every quarterback on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked quarterback, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Jayden Maiava's strongest measure is pass success rate at 57%, 5th of 181 (the average is 46%). His weakest is rush yards per game at -9, 174th of 181 (the average is 20).
Season production
Why it matters. Volume is the first sign of how much a coaching staff trusts a player. His pass yards per game, 293, ranks 8th among 181 ranked quarterbacks.
Against every quarterback
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked quarterbacks he sits, on average, in the 50th percentile for volume, 94th for efficiency and 93rd for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 9 games, Jayden Maiava's best came in week 1 against Fresno State and his quietest in week 8 at Wisconsin.
When it matters
Why it matters. Third downs, the red zone and games against good teams are where drives and seasons are decided.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every quarterback on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Jayden Maiava is 5th of 181 FBS quarterbacks and 3rd of 25 in the Big Ten. Next up nationally is Aidan Chiles of Northwestern, 0.07 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. A player's track record is the best guide to whether a season like this one is likely to last. This is his best season by the Player Index so far, out of 4 we have.
Quarterbacks like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Julian Sayin of Ohio State.
