Jayden Maiava excited to learn from Miller Moss in quarterback battle

Quarterback Jayden Maiava transferred to the USC Trojans after putting up an excellent season with the UNLV Rebels looking to compete with Miller Moss for the starting job in 2024.

Moss enters the 2024 season with more experience at USC and in head coach Lincoln Riley‘s system. So, there is plenty that Maiava is excited to learn from him while the two are competing for the starting job.

“Learning from him is a big thing for me,” Jayden Maiava said. “So, obviously, he’s been here multiple years. It’s a good thing for me to be here and just learn from him, compete against each other, and get each other better.”

Miller Moss has been at USC since 2021, meaning that he’s been with the program for the entirety of Riley’s tenure. That mostly meant being the backup to Caleb Williams and learning the system before he got his shot in last year’s Holiday Bowl against Louisville. It ended up being a massive game for him, throwing for 372 yards and six touchdowns.

With that performance, it was assumed that Moss would replace Williams in 2024. However, Riley did dip his toes in the Transfer Portal to pull out Jayden Maiava.

Maiava was a three-star recruit in the Class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. A native of Hawaii, he began his career at UNLV where during the 2023 he had a breakout season. He completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also rushed for 277 and three touchdowns on the ground. When he hit the Transfer Portal, he quickly became one of the biggest names available.

That quarterback competition at USC does seem to be coming down to Maiava and Moss, despite the Trojans having six total quarterbacks on the roster.

Jayden Maiava on transition from UNLV to USC

Making the jump from UNLV to USC is a big one in terms of both expectations and the competition being faced. At the end of the day, though, it’s a transition that Maiava emphasized is mostly going to be a mental choice.

“It’s been really good for me,” Maiava said. “Me, personally, it’s just all mental. Coming in here, just having that mindset of attacking each day, not sitting back and relaxing and just thinking about each day and getting the most out of it.”

For now, as Fall Camp rolls along, the quarterback competition is still open at USC with just over two weeks before the Trojans open the season with a game against the LSU Tigers on September 1st.