Jayden Maiava taking 'the next step' could mean playoff whispers for USC
Josh Pate shares intel about USC quarterback Jayden Maiava reportedly taking a notable step forward in fall camp -- and what it could mean for the Trojans' College Football Playoff chances.
Video Transcript
At this point, I should inform you what the rumblings are.
The rumblings are he's taken the step, Jesse, the fabled next step that every player longs to take in fall camp, and Jadyn Maiaba is taking the next step.
Now, let's just allow our minds to frolic and wander freely for a second.
If that's true, and if Jadyn Maiaba is a notably better quarterback this year than he was last year when he was pretty good, and we got a third-year quarterback doing what quarterbacks tend to do multiple years into their career under Lincoln Riley, and Waymon Jordan's back at tailback, and you got him plus King Miller.
King Miller was like a 900-yard rusher last year, right?
And it's not really mentioned all that much, but if I got two tailbacks I can count on, I've got Jadyn Maiaba playing really, really high-caliber ball, and then I've got an infusion of a number one overall signing class, like Luke Waffle at edge has been a player that we've heard a lot about so far, 6'5", 255.
They're just different kind of bodies there, maybe, in, more plentiful supply than Lincoln Riley's had in his time at USC.
Mark Bowman at tight end is another guy out of that true freshman class that I think you'll see a lot.
And, to add one more name, Jontez Williams, you know, he'll, he'll be a big-time player at corner for them.
He's a guy who was at Iowa State, and when everyone says Iowa State, you just think, "Oh, all those players went to Penn State."
Well, most of them who transferred did.
Williams, I would say, was the best among them.
Rocco Becht maybe notwithstanding just 'cause it's the quarterback position, but Jontez Williams was a really, really high-level player.
Well, he went to USC, and, I mean, he's immediately in that rotation with the ones.
So my point is, if I've got all these upward-pointing indicators and Jadyn Maiaba really is a notably better quarterback, that's-- I, I'm gonna whisper playoff.
I'ma whisper it.
I'm not gonna say it out loud.
And that's not a prediction, mind you.
But it's okay.
Like, at that point, would you be comfortable, Jesse, whispering, "Playoff.
USC playoff"?
Yeah?
Okay.
Grit your teeth and say yeah, whatever.
Lincoln Riley haters.
Not me, though.
Not me.
Yeah
