Unexpected Non-CFP QB Beats Heisman Winner Fernando Mendoza in Rare Career Feat

USC QB Jayden Maiava has struggled with inaccuracy and turnovers all season. However, that lone metric does not capture the stakes in the moments that truly matter. While Maiava never made it to the Heisman ceremony in New York, he has surpassed Fernando Mendoza in a key achievement.

Despite the struggles, Maiava posted the highest QBR in college football at 91.2, edging out Mendoza’s 88.4. While the competition percentage measures a quarterback’s accuracy, the QBR rating accounts for every rushing and passing play and the clutch moments that define how a signal caller bounces back and helps his team win at crucial moments.

The Trojans’ signal caller tops the list, followed by Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Mendoza. Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia also made it to the fourth spot. These three were the Heisman finalists for the 2025 season. For sure, this is a rare career achievement for Maiava.

So far, he has recorded 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns, along with six scores. Although. Maiava has a strong arm, but it has remained inconsistent, leading to 10 interceptions. But surrounded by elite weapons in RB King Miller, Waymond Jordan, along with his talented WR corps, Makai Lemon and JaKobi Lane have padded those issues, resulting in a likely higher QBR rating.

Several moments defined Maiava’s season. Like, against Michigan, on 3rd and goal, Maiava succumbed to pressure and tossed a slightly underthrown deep ball. Makai Lemon made an impressive one-handed grab in the endzone. Eventually, USC won 31-13. He showed similar explosiveness against Iowa. During the fourth quarter, Maiava threw a 28-yard pass, slightly behind Lemon, who was under double coverage. He stacked the defender and snagged the ball in his arms.

Similarly, King Miller sprinted for a 41-yard touchdown run against the UCLA Bruins late in the fourth quarter.

Quarterbacks with the highest QBR in the CFB ‘25 regular season:

1. Jayden Maiava USC – 91.2
2. Julian Sayin OSU – 89.6
3. Fernando Mendoza IU – 88.4
4. Diego Pavia VAN – 87.7
5. Trinidad Chambliss MISS – 86.0
6. Gunner Stockton UGA – 85.8
7. Taylen Green ARK – 83.1
8.… pic.twitter.com/o62nVBvCdP

— Trojan Football ᶠᵃⁿ (@TrojanFBx) January 15, 2026

While Jayden Maiava has a strong arm, his offensive weapons helped USC make big plays throughout the season. But that does not mean, Maiava did not prove his mettle. Over the season, Maiava’ has displayed plenty of those clutch-play moments. One of those moments came against Northwestern.

Maiava had just thrown an interception, picked off by Wildcats’ Najee Story. As he rushed towards the end zone, Maiava sprinted downfield, caught up with him, and forced a fumble near the pylon. The Trojans eventually won 38-17. Later against Oregon as well, he sprinted for a 64-yard TD run, showing his ability to extend his legs and make explosive plays.

Summing up a 9-4 season that saw the Trojans rise to No. 16th on the AP Top 25  polls, HC Lincoln Riley couldn’t be prouder.

“He has played against good groups,” Riley talked of his Maiava earlier. “We have continued to score points and win a lot of the games, and have one of the best offenses in the country, and he’s been a big part of that.”

As Maiava returns for the 2026 season, we can expect more improvement.

Jayden Maiava’s untapped potential

Maiava’s collegiate journey has seen better days but has been marred by plenty of criticism over his turnovers. Although the 2025 season again saw those issues resurface, a packed pre-season camp allowed him to improve his mechanics, which in turn led to a 9-4 season.

When he arrived at USC (from UNLV), he filled the shoes of Moss Miller. The 2024 season saw him make four starts, contributing to a 3-1 victory. On paper, these numbers look decent. But most of the criticism surrounding him focused on his forcing plays. He completed barely 60% of his passes and had six interceptions. Two of those (sixpicks) were against the Notre Dame Irish, leading to a 35-49 bitter loss. He then threw three interceptions against Texas A&M again, earning a fresh round of criticism. Although he led a 21-point comeback against the Aggies, it hardly softened the criticism.

October 18, 2025: USC quarterback Jayden Maiava 14 passes the ball during NCAA, College League, USA football game action between the USC Trojans and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. /CSM South Bend United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20251018_zma_c04_558 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx

Even though all these issues weighed heavily on head coach Lincoln Riley, Maiava was his starting quarterback in the 2025 season. A brief QB battle between Husan Longstreet and Maiava took place, but the latter was still a freshman, and Maiava had experience and an arm full of untapped potential.

“He spins the ball really well,” John Beck shared with the Los Angeles Times. “The talent is there. The ability is there.”

“He would make some throws, and you’d go, ‘Oh wow, there’s some real arm talent there. Then you’d see some others, and the question would be, ‘Why isn’t that arm talent, that efficiency showing up in the same way on those specific throws?”

Beck is a former NFL QB and private coach. He has worked with Tom Brady, Justin Herbert, and others, helping them work on their arm strength.

Jayden Maiava has a lot of potential. This spring, he will be working towards solving those issues.

 

 

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