Woody Marks reveals USC QB change from Miller Moss to Jayden Maiava 'wasn't a surprise'

USC head coach Lincoln Riley’s decision to bench quarterback Miller Moss and start transfer backup Jayden Maiava was, to many, a surprise. But perhaps didn’t send the same shockwaves through the locker room.

Trojans running back Woody Marks, speaking with media after the decision broke and Riley offered his explanations, said it didn’t come as a major surprise to see Maiava get a chance. And partially, Marks said, it maybe hasn’t set in that it’ll be a different quarterback out there on game day.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” Marks said. “I would say for me, I really didn’t know until we got to practice and it was just, they always rotate, so it was just really normal. It hasn’t really hit me ’til probably like the game or something.”

So far this season, Maiava — who transferred in from UNLV — has attempted 11 passes, completing eight for 68 yards, playing exclusively in mop up duty across three games

Moss, who entered the year as the starter and has generally played well, has completed 64.4% of his passes for 2555 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine interceptions in nine games.

After making the decision to start Maiava, Riley explained some of his thinking

“I said I was gonna make decisions based on what was best for the team to win,” Riley said. “And nothing’s changed. We go back and evaluate like we do every single game. We have two good players in the room, and when we went back and looked at it we felt like it was in the best interest of the team to give Jayden a chance here. It’s that simple.”

Moss initially replaced Caleb Williams at quarterback for USC’s Holiday Bowl win last season, playing well. He then earned the starting job in 2024 over the course of the offseason, including over Maiava.

“Listen, I’ve been through enough of these with QBs,” Riley said. “I know the QBs at any program, especially one like this, are a lightning rod. We’ve made a lot of other changes at other positions throughout this trying to find our best lineups and have the best possible lineup to help us go win that aren’t going to get the attention and publicity, and I get it. It’s just, it’s part of football, but there was nothing more to this decision than that.”

Riley also made clear Moss has played well, and this decision is centered around what he feels is best for the team.

“And I want to say, like, listen, Miller Moss has done a really good job for us. Like, we, you could literally not change one thing that Miller’s done and we could be sitting here with a really, really good record right now. Miller has done a very good job. He’s been a really good leader for this team. He’s been loyal to this program. He has worked hard, and he has done a lot of really good things on the football field. So, this is not a reflection of anything more than we have another good player in the room and we feel like he gives us a good opportunity,” Riley said.

“And we felt like this was, when we went back and evaluated, that this was the best thing for the team. It’s really that simple.”