If you can trust one thing under USC head coach Lincoln Riley, then it’s the unwavering promise to deliver us a Heisman quarterback. So, while Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Caleb Williams sit already on that Heisman list, Riley is helping Jayden Maiava lay out his Heisman path piece by piece this season. He laid out some of that against Michigan recently, passing for 265 yards as USC won 31-13. That performance also came with a $339k reward.

Before the Michigan game, Jayden Maiava was 13th in the country in terms of his NIL value. He commanded a $2.4 million valuation and reportedly took home $604,000 per year. But now, after his scintillating Michigan showing, his valuation has increased by $339k. That puts him with some elite group of players like Ryan Williams and John Mateer($2.6 million). And this looks just the start for Maiava.

“He’s been unbelievable. I know they had their biggest test this weekend. But he’s a great player. He’s shown he can make all the throws. He’s surrounded by talent, and that helps when you’re a youngster without 20 to 30 starts under your belt,” said former NFL QB, Carson Palmer, about Maiava, hyping up his draft stock. The progress is undoubtedly massive for Jayden.

It surely is a massive upgrade for Jayden since last year, in the limited games he saw, issues persisted. His efficiency was a meager 59.8% and he threw 6 interceptions in the 4 games he started. That also included a costly pick-six against rival Notre Dame, intensifying voices of criticism. But this year, he is dominating every play and functioning fluidly in the pocket. That was the reason, despite the loss against Illinois, Jayden was still exceptional, passing for 364 yards, earning an 85.2 QB rating. The next step then is the Heisman, and it’s not too far-fetched for him now !!

Heisman trophy possibility depends on the Notre Dame game for Maiava

Maiava is third nationally in passing yards, 10th nationally in completion percentage (71.9%), and his passer rating (185.6) is fourth nationally. And he has done all that while playing two ranked opponents in Michigan and Illinois, amongst the six he faced so far. That goes a long way in bolstering his Heisman resume. Not to mention, he has an elite O-line and receivers to help him further.

The next game for USC is at Notre Dame, and that would be crucial for Maiava’s Heisman odds. “With both Alabama’s Ty Simpson and Miami’s Carson Beck at +350 to win the Heisman, neither Carr nor Maiava will find himself among the clear favorites even with a victory in Week 8. But the winning quarterback will still have an intriguing sleeper case over the final five weeks of the season,” said Nick Bromberg of Yahoo Sports.

It wouldn’t be difficult then for Maiava to become a solid Heisman contender from a sleeper one. The Fighting Irish, despite losing Riley Leonard, still rely heavily on the run game, making Carr’s performance against USC less probable. While Jayden Maiava, owing to USC’s highly talented O-line, can make that jump and maybe pass for 300+ yards. If that happens, Jayden will undoubtedly be at least in the top-5 of the Heisman odds list for most analysts.