Jayden Maiava: Anything but Average
By Natalie Miller, USC Football Communications Student Assistant
9/24/2026
The average musubi, a popular Hawaiian snack, is simple: rice, Spam and seaweed.
The average day of a USC student is an 8 a.m. wake-up call, a walk down Trousdale to class and a stop at Starbucks.
The average quarterback is adaptable, a solid decision maker and has a good arm.
But there is nothing average about Trojan quarterback Jayden Maiava or the journey that shaped him.
The USC quarterback position is historically coveted, and with it, comes a great deal of national spotlight making Maiava’s daily life quite different than many of his classmates. He begins his day his day reviewing film in the early hours of the morning, followed by meetings, recovery, practice, class and finally ending it all with more film review. On top of all of it, he has media obligations: post-practice interviews, various press conferences, meetings with national journalists and broadcasters, and in the new age of NIL, brand commitments.
It’s safe to say his day isn't that of the average student; but Maiava doesn’t mind the challenge, he embraces it.
“My favorite class is Spanish because it is the hardest class I’ve taken,” he said. “I enjoy the hard work; it builds character.”
The only average thing in Maiava's life is his Spam musubi.
“That should just be rice, seaweed and spam, nothing else,” he said with a smile. In fact, Maiava’s first stop when he goes back home to Honolulu is 7-Eleven to grab his favorite “average” snack.
Home plays a significant role in who he is as both a quarterback and a person. He and his eight brothers and sisters grew up in the Palolo Valley, a few miles east of Honolulu on the island of O’ahu.
“I’m lucky to have the family that I have and to grow up in a culture where family is really tight,” he said. “I will always remember what they have all done for me to get me where I am today.”
Bus rides to school at 4 a.m. and practice at the end of the day never fazed him. They were simply part of the journey, another opportunity to prove his commitment by showing up day after day.
“I get it from my mom,” he said when discussing his perseverance. “Through the hard times, she never gave up on me. In fact, she never gave up on herself, and that's something I look up to. She’s my greatest role model.”
His upbringing came with stretches of poverty and uncertainty, including periods of homelessness and not knowing whether food would be on the table. Those experiences shaped his understanding of what it means to keep going, even when things get difficult.
“I want to be a guy who shows up, no matter what the situation is,” Maiava said.
This past summer, Maiava showed up for the kids of Hawaii, hosting a free youth football camp in the Palolo Valley that he funded himself. The same community that raised him filled the park, bringing together children and families from all across the island.
“Those kids are the next generation. If I can be a part of their journey and create a connection with them, maybe when they are older, they will take the time to help future Hawaiian kids too,” he said.
The camp was so successful that even Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, made a guest appearance. But the camp’s impact went far beyond a few hours of football drills. It gave the kids of his hometown access to the sport that changed Maiava’s life, and an opportunity for him to inspire the next generation of Hawaiian football players.
“Going home was a massive period of reflection for me. Being with the kids helped me to really embrace my role as the quarterback at USC,” he said. “My first few years here, I played the position of a quarterback, but I didn’t necessarily carry myself as one.”
USC head coach Lincoln Riley believes he has seen Maiava’s step up to the challenge and become more comfortable both in his position and the responsibilities that come along with it.
“Of all the guys that I’ve been fortunate enough to coach, I don't know that I've had any that have improved from day one to this point as much as Jayden has,” Riley said. “He has certainly established himself as a leader and embraced what it means to be a starting quarterback at USC.”
At USC, being the quarterback means more than running the offense. It is a brand in its own rite that carries a unique responsibility and heritage. Through his personal growth, Maiava has defined what that role means to him and established his own place within it.
“As the USC quarterback, I want to look like somebody who is caring, genuine and loving. Someone those kids back home can look up to,” Maiava said thoughtfully. “Someone who can tune out the noise and draw strength from it, while always staying true to I am and where I come from.”
When he started his first game at USC against Nebraska in 2024, he became the first Polynesian starting quarterback in Trojan history. While the ties to his roots don’t define him, they shape his game and the way he builds trusted relationships.
“The first thing that makes a great quarterback is his relationship with the team on and off the field,” he said. “That mutual trust means they know they can always count on me, just as I can count on them.”
Growing up surrounded by family taught Maiava the value of trust, which has become the foundation of who he is as a teammate.
“Jayden was a lead-by-example guy before,” said starting left tackle Elijah Paige. “But now, you'll hear him in the weight room, he takes command of the huddle, and he has become the voice of the locker room.”
It’s no secret that Maiava’s relationship with the offensive line is special and his stats speak for themselves. He leads the nation with 1,173 passing yards, 12 touchdowns and 80 points responsible for. He also has a completion percentage of 75.7%, placing him among the top quarterbacks in the nation.
But statistics tell only part of the story. Against Northwestern in 2025, Maiava chased down a defensive lineman and delivered a touchdown-saving tackle, forcing a fumble that rolled through the end zone for a touchback. It was a rare display of effort from a quarterback and a defining glimpse of who Maiava is: a relentless competitor willing to put everything on the line for his team.
Whether it's fulfilling his day-to-day responsibilities, excelling on field, or even sacrificing his body to take down a defensive lineman, nothing about Jayden Maiava is average, except perhaps, his Spam musubi.
