Jayden Maiava Needs to Tame That Big League Arm

There’s a lot to like about what USC quarterback Jayden Maiava put on his 2025 game film (and then there are the consistent concerns).

What jumps out most on film?

That right arm of his.

Wowwee.

There’s not even that much of an arch on his deep passes.

The question is ⎯

Will it propel him into a starting or a backup role in the NFL?

That all depends…

On?

It depends on what he looks like on his game film going forward.

No doubt ⎯

Maiava has the raw tools. He combines that cannon he has for an arm with size, playing strength, and athleticism to put on a show at times.

What else stands out about Maiava?

• Commanding and imposing presence
• Even kneeled
• Fearless
• Maintains downfield focus
• Strong enough to shed pass rushers
• Keeps defenses guessing
• Knows where his receivers and checkdowns are
• Creates good play flow
• Short-term memory with mistakes

Go deep!

Maiava loves to throw the daylights out of the football.

LOVES IT.

And as the season progressed ⎯

He did more and more of it.

Maiava went 37/70 (52.9%) on +20 air-yard passes that I personally charted. That’s not including all the deep passes he drew pass-interference calls on. I didn’t chart those, but I noticed he had a knack for regularly drawing the yellow penalty flag. It got to the point where it looked like a strategy.

Then there’s the rest of the stuff

His game-by-game time-to-throw numbers and completion percentages read like a rollercoaster ride.

2025 Pro Football Focus (seconds): 2.53, 2.96, 3.28, 2.81, 2.84, 2.27, 3.03, 3.47, 3.10, 3.00, 2.42, 3.01, and 2.76.

2025 ESPN completion percentages: 83.3%, 66.7%, 60.7%, 76.9%, 69.8%, 78.1%, 52.4%, 39.1%, 72.7%, 71.9%, 58.1%, 72.4%, and 60.0%.

And that’s exactly the way it looked on film.

Sometimes he gets the ball out of his hand on time, and sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he also relied too much on his arm strength and tried to force his throws. That gets him into trouble occasionally.

Maiava’s process looked more under control in the first seven games and less so in the final six games of the season.

Ball security issue

On top of the 10 interceptions he threw in 2025 ⎯

I charted 28 pass breakups (PBUs). That’s an average of 2.15 PBUs per game.

Does Maiava have an eyesight problem? Is he farsighted? Is there a depth perception issue? A lot of those PBUs were batted down at the line of scrimmage, and it seemed like he couldn’t see the defensive backs sitting underneath on some of those interceptions.

Which side of the fence is Maiava on?

At this point in the process, Maiava projects to be a backup in the NFL.

There’s too much inconsistency. Lots of highlights.

Just too much inconsistency.

#14 Jayden Maiava 6-foot-4, 230 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2026 Spring Grade: Third-Round (I would select him)

Projected by NFL Mock Draft Database to be a Second-Round prospect as of May 25, 2026

2025 game film evaluated: Missouri State, Georgia Southern, Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Northwestern, Iowa, Oregon, UCLA, and TCU (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Pro Football Focus (2025): 74.7% completion percentage when kept clean and 41.9% completion percentage under pressure

Pro Football Focus Time to Throw (2025): 2.88 seconds

2027 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Erratic playmaker with an aggressive nature. Poised. Tough. One to two read thrower. Leans too heavily on first-read throws. Toys with third reads. Likes to stiff-arm. Able to extend plays. Some improv. Can finesse or power throws. Throws with below-average to average anticipation. Drives the ball downfield. Capable of fitting his passes into tight throwing windows. Excels at intermediate seam routes. Loves to roll out right and power throw. Occasional sidearmed release. Nine bad throwing decisions in 13 games. Good job avoiding sacks and yardage losses (ESPN: 14 sacks). Only 54 rushing attempts (2025). Average at protecting his body while running.

What to watch for during the 2026 college football season?

1. Getting the ball out of his hand on time?

2. Is he seeing defenders?

3. Consistent game-by-game?

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio, Fox Sports Radio, and Fearless with Jason Whitlock. Featured in USA Today. For more information, visit whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.