PĀLOLO — With Diamond Head glistening in the distance to his right and the public housing units he grew up in situated just up the street to his left, Jayden Maiava stood firmly on his roots when explaining to the man directly across from him where it all started.
Last week, Maiava held a free youth football clinic at Pālolo Valley District Park, the place he honed his football skills as one of college football's top quarterbacks. Gov. Josh Green made an appearance, and Maiava gave Green a walking tour.
"It was unbelievable. I didn't think he was going to show up. It a great surprise," Maiava said afterwards.
Green wished Maiava luck ahead of his senior year of USC, where in 2024, he became the storied program's first Polynesian starting quarterback. Green, an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, enthusiastically told Maiava he hopes that's where he ends up.
If the 2026 season goes as planned for Maiava, dozens of other NFL teams will more than be interested.
After relocating to Las Vegas with his family in middle school, Maiava returned to O‘ahu ahead of his sophomore year at Kaimuki High School in 2019, leading the Bulldogs to an OIA Division II championship. As the Covid-19 pandemic wiped out the high school sports season in 2020, Maiava moved back to Las Vegas, finishing at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nev.
Maiava eventually won the starting quarterback job as a redshirt freshman at UNLV in 2023, then parlayed his success into a spot on USC's roster in 2024.
In his first year as a full-time starter in 2025, Maiava threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns, completing 65.8% of his passes as the Trojans went 9-4. His efficiency, combined with the fluidity he shows in carrying his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame, had NFL scouts intrigued. Maiava decided to return for his senior season in 2026, where combined with one of the country's top recruiting classes, hopes remain high in Los Angeles.
Life's moving fast for Maiava nowadays. Visits back home, and opportunities to give back, are steps in the journey he views as essential. On May 18, boys and girls aged 6 to 14 received a free shirt and were able to engage in a handful of fun games, some of which featured Maiava himself. Afterwards, Maiava took the time to sign autographs and take pictures with every single participant and their families, a session that lasted over an hour.
Jayden Maiava talks to campers at his free clinic recently at Pālolo Valley District Park. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Jayden Maiava showed Gov. Josh Green Pālolo Valley District Park. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
USC plans to launch a full-fledged social media campaign for Maiava ahead of the 2026 season. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Jayden Maiava spent over an hour signing autographs and taking pictures with keiki and their families. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Jayden Maiava spent over an hour signing autographs and taking pictures with keiki and their families. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff)
Maiava received constant reminders of both his old and new life. While he was back on his old stomping grounds, multiple cameras were pointed at him the entire time. USC's media team in particular sent a contingent of nearly a dozen, filming him in his element, in addition to multiple family outings over the weekend. The plan for USC is to launch a full-fledged social media campaign centered around Maiava.
"Being the first ever Samoan quarterback to start at SC is really big," Aaron Amaama, USC's director of high school recruiting relations, told Aloha State Daily. "He's an icon for our people."
Following the 2026 season, Maiava will try his hand at the NFL. It's a destination he dreamed of as a keiki, a place that feels closer than ever. On his way there, he hopes he can show other kids from Pālolo their dreams can be cultivated where their feet are.
"It means everything," Maiava said of the Island youth. "When I was their age, I'd never thought I'd be throwing my own camp here, but being able to do that with the people around me, with the help that I've been lended, just being able to come back to the community and be present.
"It still hasn't hit me yet. I just try to stay in the moment, reflecting on where I came from, and this is where it all started. So, seeing all the kids, all my uncles and aunties, and just everybody who showed up, really just inspired me to just continue to do what I do to the best I can. I haven't accomplished nothing yet, so I think just for me, just being able to stay grounded and remember where I come from, and just continue to have that mindset of I still ain't doing nothing. Just keeping my head down, keep swinging, and relying on the people around me."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
