USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava seemed to spend his spring break wisely.
USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava spoke to the media after Tuesday's spring practice, and he revealed some of his maturity and leadership when talking about his performance so far. With a young wide receivers corps and an offensive line that is dealing with some injuries, the continuity of Maiava in the offense will be key for any USC success in the upcoming season.
Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava throws the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images "Watched some film, put a little two-minute drive on. Watched a little NFL quarterbacks," Maiava said. "I watched a lot of Matthew Stafford. Sam Darnold was on there too, Joe Burrow. All them guys, just trying to learn from them. They're the best to do it, so," he continued. "Everything, honestly. I was open to just learning anything that I could add to my toolbox, whatever that could put me in the best possible situation to go out there and execute plays," said Maiava."It felt great, honestly. Every day, I found myself bored, didn't know what to do after workouts. Watched some film, but it was good though. Time to get away, reset a little bit, gave some of the younger guys time to rejuvenate and get their legs back underneath them. We started off, really good start coming off that break, so fired up goin' ahead," he said. "Starting fast, executing plays, and having that next play mentality. Obviously we're gonna mess up, there's gonna be mistakes. It comes with the game, but at the same time just having that next play mentality and being able to flush it all out. You know, play ball at the end of the day," said Maiava."Honestly, you know, when we first come out here. Just checking your intent, checking your energy level. Keeping yourself accountable before you can keep others accountable around you, so just coming on the field with the right mindset 'cause you got the players that came before us, a lot of respect to them. They paved the way for what this program could be and what it is going to be, so just that, honestly." Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley talks with quarterback Jayden Maiava in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images"I'm super fired up about those guys," said the USC quarterback. "They've been stacking a lot of great days. Can't wait for game days, but we take it one day at a time, one practice at a time. I'm happy for them, they're getting a lot of really good reps out there. Coach Riley, this staff just do such a great job during our team periods, giving everybody reps and the opportunity to go out there and develop and learn.""It's really important. It starts up front. I can't get the ball unless those five guys are on it and locked into their assignments which they have been all spring. Even the pre-walk throughs before spring, so they just been doing such a good job stacking these days leading up to this moment. So, super happy for them. I feel comfortable back there, they're doing such a great job up front. Coach Hanson, the O-line, coach Zach Banner just getting on these guys' butts. Just being able to keep their head forward and keep it on right," said Maiava. Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Helmets at the line of scrimmage as Southern California Trojans offensive lineman J'Onre Reed snaps the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images"Regardless of if he's been getting plays or not, it feels like out there getting plays, 'cause he's just on our butts, even me as well. I come off to the sideline, he's like, 'Oh you've got to tell us what we need to do.' He's always looking to get better, so that's super fired up about him. I'm happy about that guy, so he just does such a great job getting the other guys that are in there the coaching points that maybe he experienced that they could learn from and apply that to their memory bank and hopefully down the road," said Maiava.Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Map Showing How Big Africa Really Is Goes ViralA viral map is reshaping how people see Africa’s true size, sparking debate over the Mercator projection and why world maps can be misleading.
Read more »
Pokémon Colosseum Teaser Leaves Gamers BaffledPokémon colosseum: gameplay showing a Pokemon in battle.
Read more »
High school students spend day off giving makeovers to Long Island assisted living residentsHigh school students are helping residents in assisted living in Long Island, New York feel a bit more confident with makeovers.
Read more »
Los Angeles plays Toronto following Garland's 41-point showingToronto Raptors (40-31, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (35-36, eighth in the Western Conference)
Read more »
AUSD Notes: Alameda high school musicals showing this week and nextNate is an East Bay community papers editor for the East Bay Times and Bay Area News Group.
Read more »
Cincinnati Bearcats Football Stars Shine During 2026 Pro Day ShowingCincinnati Bearcats Football Stars Shine During 2026 Pro Day Showing
Read more »