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USC QB Jayden Maiava And RB Waymond Jordan Both Receive Some Prestigious Preseason Nods

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Football

LOS ANGELES — USC quarterback Jayden Maiava and running back Waymond Jordan have been named to the 2026 Maxwell Award Watch List. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the College Football Player of the Year.

Four Trojans - O.J. Simpson, Charles White, Marcus Allen and Caleb Williams - have been recipients of the Maxwell Award.

Maiava continues to add preseason accolades to his name. He was one of 12 total players from the Big Ten Conference to be named to the 2026 Big Ten Football Preseason Honors list. Maiava was also recently named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Goodworks Team for his commitment to community service and leadership beyond the gridiron.

Maiava, a 2025 All-Big Ten Third Team quarterback led the nation with a 91.2 QBR and has 31 career starts. As USC's starting quarterback, Maiava started in all 13 games for the Trojans in 2025. He completed 265-of-403 passes (65.8%) for 3,711 yards and 24 TDs with 10 INTs, plus he rushed for 157 yards on 54 carries (2.9 avg.) and 6 TDs. He also recorded 1 tackle and 1 forced fumble (one of two quarterbacks in the FBS to do so in 2025).

He was named to the 2025 All Big Ten Third Team, the 2025 Phil Steele All-Big Ten Third Team and the Pro Football Sports Network All-Big Ten Third Team. Maiava was a Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award Finalist and was a Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist. He was a two-time Davey O'Brien Great 8 recipient and a Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honoree.

Jordan, one of the nation's top running backs, returns for the 2026 season. After transferring to USC in the spring of 2025 from Hutchinson CC, he exploded onto the scene as one of the most productive backs in the country. He rushed for 576 yards on 88 carries (6.5 avg.) with 5 TDs through just six games as a redshirt junior in 2025. He also recorded 7 receptions for 55 yards. Jordan suffered a season-ending injury versus Michigan which sidelined him for the remainder of 2025. He was named to the Sports Illustrated Midseason All-American Second Team.

The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.