Heading into the 2025 season, Jayden Maiava enters his first full year as USC’s starting quarterback. Maiava started the final four games of 2024 for the Trojans, and is now the heavy favorite to be the guy in 2025.
So what can Maiava expect this fall? On a recent episode of the Victory Podcast, USC Athletics’s official podcast, former USC quarterback Cody Kessler, who co-hosts the show with team reporter Keely Eure, shared his advice for the current USC QB heading into the 2025 season.
Advertisement
“This is your one shot to go out there and prove that you can be the guy at USC,” Kessler said. “That you deserve to be the starting quarterback for the University of Southern California. There is a lot of pressure that comes with that. There’s a lot of scrutiny . . . as a competitor, as a leader, as a quarterback, you don’t want it any other way.
“What I did, and this is my message to Jayden . . . I trusted my coaches, you know, I leaned on my teammates, but I blocked everything else out . . . I focused on what mattered. And that was my teammates, my coaches, and the Trojan Family. Nothing else mattered.
“This is your one opportunity to go be great. What type of legacy do you want to leave here at USC?”
Maiava’s performance in the four games that he started last season was inconsistent. He had some great moments, but also some rather head-scratching plays. If Maiava can clean up his play in 2025, he has the chance to emerge as one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Former USC football QB Cody Kessler shares advice for Jayden Maiava
