Jayden Maiava, the former quarterback of the UNLV Rebels who hit the transfer portal and committed to Georgia, has reneged and is now headed to the USC Trojans.
NEWS: UNLV transfer QB Jayden Maiava has flipped his commitment from Georgia to USC, per multiple reports.
The Mountain West Freshman of the Year originally committed to UGA yesterday. Threw for 3,085 yards and 17 TDs in 2023.https://t.co/JRtGdLEjPX pic.twitter.com/M0GlngoyqT
— On3 (@On3sports) January 10, 2024
Maiava is 6-feet-4 and 220 pounds, and has plenty of potential. He redshirted in 2022; and in 2023, his first season starting for the Rebels, he won the Mountain West Freshman of the Year award.
He finished the season completing 223 passes on 352 attempts (63.4%) for 3,071 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions; he also had 340 rushing yards and three rushing scores.
"I hope this letter finds you all in good health and high spirits. It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to inform you that I have decided to enter the transfer portal, marking the end of my journey with UNLV," Maiava said in a statement Jan. 1 about his transfer. "This decision to enter the transfer portal was not made lightly.
"I believe it is the right step for my personal and athletic growth and I hope you understand and respect my choice. Thank you once again for everything. I am forever grateful for the support and encouragement. Wishing the UNLV football program, my coaches, teammates, and fans continued success in the future."
Maiava is a Hawaii native who played high school ball at Kaimuki, where he came into college football as a three-star prospect. He was just inside the top 1,000 recruits from the 2022 class, ranking No. 986 according to On3.
The move to the Trojans allows Maiava to stay on the West Coast, closer to Hawaii.
With Carson Beck staying at Georgia in 2024, Maiava will have a chance to start immediately for the Trojans, who lost Caleb Williams to the NFL and Malachi Nelson to the transfer portal.
Now, Maiava and Miller Moss will compete for the starting role in 2024.
Moss played in the Dec. 27 Holiday Bowl against Louisville. He had 372 passing yards, six touchdown passes and one interception.
