Jayden Maiava is USC football's QB1, adding Nico Iamaleava would be a mistake

A lot of attention in college football is focused on what Nico Iamaleava will do next. USC football is interested, according to some, although many of the more credible and better-connected sources do not believe this to be the case at all. Depending on who fans believe, there could be a major addition landing in Los Angeles to join the Cardinal and Gold shortly. Conversely, the current corps is who the Trojans will roll with in the fall, and the potential of adding the former Tennessee QB will be a forgotten afterthought soon enough.

In today's transfer portal and NIL world, there is often a big difference between what does and what should happen. Especially with two parties potentially changing their minds throughout the country, seemingly on the flip of a switch, anything is possible, and nothing should shock in collegiate sports anymore.

That being said, USC and Lincoln Riley need to stick with Jayden Maiava. The junior is making a great impression with the staff and teammates, and it's clear that he's carved out a strong leadership role within this team. His familiarity within the offensive scheme and the chemistry that he has developed, particularly during spring camp, is invaluable.

Adding someone for their potential skill upside is only that, a possibility of getting better. Increased the perceived ceiling doesn't account for camaraderie and personalities meshing or the players' understanding of how the moving parts in a certain system work while accounting for individual tendencies.

Everything USC football wants from the QB position

Since taking over down the stretch of the 2024 season, Maiava has proven how good he can be as QB1 for USC football. His arm talent is undeniable. He trusts his playmakers to go up and come down with the ball, and he does an excellent job of moving on when mistakes happen.

Bringing in someone else at this point would be a step back within a program that has a lot of positives going for it at the moment. Maiava needs to be the starting quarterback when the Trojans take the field against Missouri State. If not him, then it needs to have meant that Husan Longstreet won the job from him.