Lincoln Riley’s 3,469-Yd Blunder Exposed as USC HC Drops Major Jayden Maiava Injury Update

In early November last year, the USC Trojans were at a 4-5 run, losing games late, with thin margins of error. So during their bye week, HC Lincoln Riley made a big, unexpected announcement– quarterback Miller Moss is benched for UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava. His reasoning? “Obviously we can’t turn the ball over.” What followed was Moss entering the transfer portal and landing at Louisville believing “There comes a point where there’s a time to move on to new opportunities, and I’m hoping to better myself as a person and a player.”

And although the Trojans faithful would’ve thought that Riley would bring someone in with his charm, that never happened because “The big thing for us is to just build a roster that doesn’t have to be too reliant on the spring portal.” And all the magic of being termed “The QB whisperer,” which he doesn’t “think it should be a term,” just didn’t return. 

Since 2017, the HC has molded three Heisman winners in Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, and Baker Mayfield to become the only HC to have all three winners be quarterbacks. Also, back in Oklahoma, Jalen Hurts was a finalist in Riley’s very first HC stint. But the calculations he does, includes not just these individuals. He set the record straight, “When you’re within the walls of these things, you realize all that’s gotta happen for a team and then — as a byproduct of a team — individuals to be successful.” And it’s not just to say. Even Joel Klatt admired how, “He doesn’t coach the creativity out of them.” However, as it stands, swapping the 3,469-yard QB for Maiava might have been a move he shouldn’t have made. At least that’s what USC insider Ryan Abraham believes.

In the latest episode of Cover 3 Podcast, Abraham joined Bud Elliott to discuss the Trojans’ offense heading into 2025. And of course, it began with the QB talk. Elliott asked Abraham while talking about the reasons for a drop off for Riley on offense, “Miller Mosses leaves for Louisville, they went with Jayden Maiava. Sounds like it was more of their choice than his, right. So, how is it going to look different in 2025?”

“With Miller Moss gone, we didn’t know if Lincoln Riley would go into the portal and bring a big-time transfer in. Ended up not doing that. They did, after the whole Julian Lewis fiasco thing going to Colorado, they were able to flip Husan Longstreet even though he’s not a five-star guy. So, they have kind of their next-up someone there but they’re probably not ready for this season.

“And if he is, if they’ve to go to him, that’s probably a bad sign. But I think they’ve been all in on Jayden Maiava, and it just seemed when they brought him in from UNLV, there was a lot of aspects of his game that Lincoln Riley and the staff liked and he was kind of you know the high-ceiling guy but also a pretty low floor.”

Though Riley couldn’t land 5-star QB Julian Lewis, they have Husan Longstreet and Jonas Williams lined up, and Maiava will lead the team this season. But in the Big Ten, you can’t bank a season on upside alone where defenses are formidable and patience is thin.

Miller Moss wasn’t perfect. But he was USC’s best option. In nine games in 2024, he threw for 2,555 yards and 18 TDs while completing 64.4 percent of his passes. He also added 914 yards across three seasons as a backup to total up to 3,469 career passing yards at USC. But after a brutal five-week stretch filled with close losses and critical turnovers, Lincoln Riley benched him before the Nebraska game and handed the keys to Jayden Maiava.

Miller Moss wasn’t some backup who stumbled into the spotlight. He was a former top-50 recruit and was loyal. He also balled out when it mattered, such as when he scored six TDs in his Holiday Bowl debut, winning 42-28 against Louisville. And in 2024, he still led the Big Ten in passing yards per game, even while USC sputtered to a 7–6 finish. So let’s call it what it is. Losing a program vet is a risky bet. And who knows, it might be Lincoln Riley’s most costly miscalculation yet. But he’s out there laying expectations on his QB1 and that trust might not be as hollow.

Lincoln Riley is high on Jayden Maiava

With Miller Moss out and no transfer QB swooping in to save the day, a new era is officially underway at USC. Well technically, Maiava did control the plays initially in 2024 before Moss got the starting role. Then, Jayden Maiava went 3–1 in four starts to end 2024, flashing potential but also showing his raw edges, from game-breaking throws to backbreaking picks, six interceptions in four games (three against Texas A&M alone). But Lincoln Riley has dropped a promising health update.

Speaking to Greg McElroy on Always College Football, he revealed that Maiava’s lingering knee issue is behind him. “Physically, he came in with a little bit of a knee issue last year, and that’s all cleared up, so he’s been able to really train. So I think he’s going to move around better for us this year. But if we can trim a few of those decisions off, which I certainly believe that we can, this guy’s got a chance to be elite.”

That’s the tag Jayden Maiava is carrying. People expect him to be elite, to be the worthy successor. He finished last season with 1,201 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, six picks, and four rushing scores. This season, his skillset will provide USC with a more dynamic running presence. Moreover, he will also add the ability to have more of an RPO-based scheme becoming a threat to defenses on QB runs.  

Still, Jayden Maiava will need to bring balance, decisiveness, and better decision-making to the table to prove Lincoln Riley’s words right. Because USC opens 2025 against Missouri State, and early stumbles won’t be a good look.