Many USC football fans had high hopes for starting quarterback Jayden Maiava through the first four games of the 2025 college football season.
But, the idea of Maiava being one of the best players in the country felt like a pipe dream.
That is a dream no longer. Maiava has been calm, collected, in control of the Lincoln Riley offense, and absolutely dominant to start the season.
Through USC’s first four games, Maiava has 1,223 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 4 rushing touchdowns and 0 interceptions.
By comparison, when former USC superstar Caleb Williams won his Heisman trophy with the Trojans in 2022, he had 1,054 passing yards, 9 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 0 interceptions through his first four games.
Those are nearly identical statlines. Maiava has more yards and rush TDs and the same amount of pass TDs Caleb had through 4 games. They also both played mistake-free football, throwing 0 interceptions.
Historic Trojan Heisman Comparisons
But the comparison goes deeper than that. Through 4 games, Maiava is also outplaying 2002 USC Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Carson Palmer and 2004 USC Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Matt Leinart.
In his first four games in 2002, Palmer had 963 pass yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
In Leinart’s first four games in 2004, he had 1,023 passing yards, 8 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
Maiava is outperforming Palmer and Leinart through 4 games in virtually every category that matters.
Now, USC’s success factored greatly into the Heisman seasons of each of those quarterbacks. USC went 11-2 and won the Orange Bowl in 2002, finishing as the No. 4 ranked team in the AP Poll.
In 2004, USC went 13-0 and won the National Championship. That title was later vacated due to NCAA sanctions, but at the time, factored greatly into Leinart’s Heisman case.
Even Caleb Williams quarterbacked USC to an 11-3 record and a Pac-12 championship game appearance on the verge of the College Football Playoff.
In 2023, Caleb was still elite, but USC’s 8-5 record took him out of any Heisman conversations.
Individual success has mattered less to Heisman considerations in the past two seasons. Neither 2023 winner Jayden Daniels nor 2024 winner Travis Hunter led their teams to college football playoff or even conference championship game appearances. Hunter won despite a historic season from Ashton Jeanty, who did lead Boise State to a CFP appearance.
But it goes without saying that competing for a Big Ten title would help Maiava’s case.
Outside USC Comparisons
Speaking of other recent Heisman winners, Maiava holds up against recent Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks even outside of USC.
In 2023, Daniels had 1296 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, 2 rushing touchdowns and 2 interceptions through 4 games.
The other recent Heisman winning quarterback outside of Daniels and Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, had 1124 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 0 rushing touchdowns and 1 interception through 4 games in 2021.
Maiava has more rushing TDs and less interceptions than both through 4 games. He also has more passing yards than Young had in 2021.
He’s not blowing them out of the water, but his stats are comparable to both QBs.
2021 Bryce Young: 1124 pass yds, 15 pass TD, 0 rush TD, 1 INT
2023 Jayden Daniels: 1296 pass yds, 12 pass TD, 2 rush TD, 2 INT
2025 Jayden Maiava: 1223 pass yds, 9 pass TD, 4 rush TD, 0 INT
I’d say that’s pretty close. #USC
How much more proof do Heisman voters need to put Maiava in the conversation?
USC fans, do you think Maiava can keep himself in the Heisman conversation all season long?
USC Star Jayden Maiava Is Putting Up Heisman Numbers Through First 4 Games