Welcome back to the Week 7 update of my weekly article series for the 2026 season titled the “Steelers 2027 QB Report.”

Throughout this year, several of our staff writers here at the Steel Curtain Network will be covering College Football from a variety of angles to help readers prepare for the 2027 NFL Draft as it relates to the Pittsburgh Steelers. So many things can and will change from Week 1 all the way to the College Football Playoff, and it’s important to keep pace with the ever-evolving landscape.

For this series, I’ll build a weekly stock report of sorts covering the best players at the most important position in the sport: the Quarterback.

Last week, I rolled out my in-depth scouting report for Austin Simmons as he continues his meteoric rise in the 2027 QB discussion! In this episode, we’ll take a look at my favorite QB in the 2027 class, Jayden Maiava out of USC.

Let’s dive in!

Quarterback scouting notebook

Jayden Maiava

USC Trojans · No. 14 · Palolo, Hawaii

Updated October 22, 2026

Player information

Height / Weight
6’4″ / 230 lbs.

Date of birth
April 6, 2003

Age
23

Full name: Jayden Ikaika Maiava
High school: Liberty (Henderson, Nevada)
College path: UNLV → USC

College career

2022 · UNLV: Redshirted and did not see action at quarterback.
2023 · UNLV: Played in all 14 games and threw for 3,085 yards. Led UNLV to its most wins since 1984 and its first-ever Mountain West Championship Game appearance; named Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
2024 · USC: Committed to Georgia out of the transfer portal before flipping to USC a day later. Replaced Miller Moss for the final four games and went 3–1 as the starter, including a Las Vegas Bowl win over Texas A&M.
2025 · USC: Started all 13 games, going 9–4 with 3,711 passing yards. Led the nation in QBR and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors before passing on the NFL Draft to return.
2026 · USC: 6–1 as the starter for No. 16 USC, with the lone loss coming against Oregon. Listed as a redshirt senior on the official roster.

Awards and honors

High school: Three-star prospect; No. 23 quarterback nationally per ESPN; second-team All-Southern Nevada; led Liberty to the Nevada state title game as a senior.

2023: Mountain West Freshman of the Year; second-team All-Mountain West; conference-record five Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards; Academic All-Mountain West.

2025: Third-team All-Big Ten; Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist; Polynesian College Football Player of the Year finalist; Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week; two-time Davey O’Brien Great 8.

Production snapshot

Season
Comp.
Pass yds.
TD–INT
Rush yds. / TD

2023 · UNLV
63.5%
3,085
17–10
277 / 3

2024 · USC
59.8%
1,201
11–6
45 / 4

2025 · USC
65.8%
3,711
24–10
157 / 6

2026 · USC*
67.9%
2,045
18–3
-5 / 2

*2026 statistics through 7 games.

Numbers that stand out

91.2 QBR in 2025, the best mark in the nation.
25-of-29 (86.2%) in the 2026 opener vs. San Jose State, a USC single-game completion record.
3 INTs in 224 ATT in 2026 (1.3%), down from a 2.5% interception rate in 2025.
9.2 YDS/ATT in 2025 and 9.1 YDS/ATT through seven games in 2026.

Scouting report

STRENGTHS: Pro-ready frame at 6’4″, 230 lbs., ball placement and touch, efficiency as a vertical passer, finishes throws through contact, pocket toughness, improved ball security, 35 career starts across two programs, experience in a progression offense under Lincoln Riley

WEAKNESSES: Accuracy dips against top-tier defenses, limited value as a runner, turnover history before 2026, older prospect at 23, can force throws when games tilt against him, track record of uneven production in marquee matchups

MY TAKE: Maiava is the most polished pure passer in this group. He throws with real touch, he’s comfortable working the full field in a pro-style system, and he’s been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country for two straight seasons, leading the nation in QBR in 2025 and averaging better than nine yards per attempt both years. The biggest jump in 2026 is ball security: three interceptions in 224 attempts after throwing ten a year ago. The question scouts will keep asking is what happens when the competition rises. Against Oregon this season he went 23-of-42, and in 2025 his worst days came against Nebraska, Notre Dame and Oregon. He’s also 23 with limited juice as a runner, so his ceiling is tied to how well he processes and throws from the pocket. If the efficiency holds in the back half against Ohio State and the rest of the Big Ten slate, he has a real case to climb from a Day 2 grade into the first round.

Sources and further reading (links)

UPDATED TOP 10 COLLEGE QUARTERBACKS

Drew Mestemaker — Oklahoma State (+1)
136/203 (67.0%), 1,940 YDS, 16 TD, 6 INT
21 CAR, 142 YDS, 2 Rush TD
Games: Tulsa, Oregon, Murray State, West Virginia, UCF, Houston. Stats
Arch Manning — Texas (-1)
106/166 (63.9%), 1,295 YDS, 11 TD, 5 INT
49 CAR, 108 YDS, 0 Rush TD
Games: Texas State, Ohio State, UTSA, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Florida. Stats
Darian Mensah — Miami (–)
135/167 (80.8%), 1,764 YDS, 18 TD, 1 INT
15 CAR, 85 YDS, 2 Rush TD
Games: Stanford, Florida A&M, Wake Forest, Central Michigan, Clemson, Florida State. Stats
Jayden Maiava — USC (–)
152/224 (67.9%), 2,045 YDS, 18 TD, 3 INT
20 CAR, -5 YDS, 2 Rush TD
Games: San Jose State, Fresno State, Louisiana, Rutgers, Oregon, Washington, Penn State. Stats
Trinidad Chambliss — Ole Miss (+1)
142/210 (67.6%), 1,676 YDS, 14 TD, 4 INT
36 CAR, 127 YDS, 6 Rush TD
Games: Louisville, Charlotte, LSU, Florida, Vanderbilt, Missouri. Stats
Dante Moore — Oregon (-1)
69/99 (69.7%), 926 YDS, 9 TD, 0 INT
10 CAR, -7 YDS, 0 Rush TD
Games: Boise State, Oklahoma State, Portland State, USC (Injured in 2nd Quarter vs. USC). Stats
LaNorris Sellers — South Carolina (–)
115/187 (61.5%), 1,338 YDS, 12 TD, 4 INT
67 CAR, 411 YDS, 2 Rush TD
Games: Kent State, Towson, Mississippi State, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida. Stats
Austin Simmons — Missouri (–)
132/209 (63.2%), 1,773 YDS, 14 TD, 2 INT
20 CAR, 18 YDS, 0 Rush TD
Games: Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Kansas, Troy, Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M, Ole Miss. Stats
CJ Carr — Notre Dame (–)
129/193 (66.8%), 1,639 YDS, 16 TD, 1 INT
24 CAR, 82 YDS, 3 Rush TD
Games: Wisconsin, Rice, Michigan State, Purdue, North Carolina, Stanford, BYU. Stats
Julian Sayin — Ohio State (–)
131/192 (68.2%), 2,007 YDS, 19 TD, 4 INT
37 CAR, -9 YDS, 2 Rush TD
Games: Ball State, Texas, Kent State, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Indiana. Stats

Which QBs caught your eye in Week 5? Let me know in the comments!

Follow Jeremy on X @thebetz93 and don’t forget to check out the latest episode of the Steelers Fix Podcast with Jeremy, Andrew Wilbar, and Corey Eckenroth, as well as Jeremy and Andrew’s NFL Draft-centric show, the Draft Dynasty Podcast, wherever you listen!