‘Right amount of psychopath’: CFB analyst backs doubted USC star

In the broader societal context, the "psychopath" label is one most people want to avoid. In the context of college football, it might just be a stand-in for "winner." So when J.D. Pickell of On3 calls USC quarterback Jayden Maiava a psychopath, that might be the biggest compliment the Trojan could be paid.

"I like Jayden Maiava. I think he's going to be really good," Pickell said. "He's got some psycho to him."

Psychotic describes the Maiava experience fairly well, fortunately and unfortunately.

The Jayden Maiava experience was chaotic, but resulted in wins

Maiava took over for Miller Moss in the final four games of USC's campaign. He had a worse completion percentage and worse passer rating than the QB he replaced. He threw as many interceptions in those four games (6) as Moss did in his first eight starts (before a three-interception performance against Washington led to Moss' benching).

I'm not exaggerating when I say Maiava's performance in the first three quarters of USC's bowl game against Texas A&M featured some of the worst quarterback play from a Trojan in memory.

But that all proves Pickell's point. After all, Maiava went 3-1 as a starter at USC — including a clutch fourth quarter performance to secure a win over the Aggies. He improved his career record to 11-5 going back to his redshirt freshman season at UNLV. His psycho mentality has largely been a winning one.

"I love how Jayden Maiava seems to be wired," said Pickell, who credited the quarterback with "spinning it" even after starting slow in several games. "I think that's the mark of a great competitor and great quarterback. Things don't go your way and you don't flinch."

That's a trait Pickell saw in Miami's Cam Ward, A&M's Marcel Reed and Florida's DJ Lagway. It's a trait Trojan fans hope the quarterback can maintain while putting himself in fewer bounce-back positions.

Jayden Maiava's mentality could make USC a championship contender

The topic of USC and Maiava came up on Pickell's podcast The Hard Count, prompted by a caller who shared their unpopular CFB opinion: USC is a championship-caliber team in the Big Ten.

Those who balk at that statement have good reason to do so. The Trojans are coming off a 7-6 season. They have won progressively fewer games in each season of Lincoln Riley's tenure. Despite that, Pickell doesn't dismiss the idea.

"I think USC are the most misunderstood team in college football," Pickell said. "6-6 tells us what they are, right? No! 6-6 does not begin to tell the story of what USC was last year."

The Trojans led in the fourth quarter of all of their 2024 losses except for the Notre Dame game. And in that one they were still close.

USC seems to have answered questions on defense by hiring D'Anton Lynn to reboot that side of the ball. Pickell's other two big questions about the Trojans involve the quarterback and Riley's ability to finish games.

Well, we know Pickell is a Maiava believer. That should make him a believer in USC's ability to finish games better in 2025. Maiava may have already answered that question by leading the Trojans to a 3-1 record in his starts. Blown fourth-quarter leads were not a storyline after the quarterback change.

Maiava still has a lot in his game to improve. He needs to play under control and limit his turnovers. He needs to embrace his athleticism and look more comfortable running when the situation calls for it. If he does that while maintaining "the right amount of psychopath," look out for the Trojans.