WAIKĪKĪ — This week, the 2026 season becomes real for Jayden Maiava and the USC football team, with fall camp set to begin on Thursday.
Prior to that, Maiava will be a part of a contingent for the Trojans that represents the school at Big Ten Conference media days in Chicago, which begins on Tuesday.
Before all the madness, Maiava made sure to squeeze in one last visit back home over the weekend. On Saturday, he was the centerpiece of the USC Hawai‘i alumni and friends pā‘ina at the ‘Alohilani Resort in Waikīkī, which also featured Trojan running back and Florida native Waymond Jordan.
The event, organized by Aloha 1st Athletics, featured a meet-and-greet, as well as a Q&A for the players. Other topics that came up included mental health, particularly youth depression in underserved communities.
"I think it's something that should have awareness, some light shining on it in terms of people reaching out to one another," Maiava told Aloha State Daily. "I think sometimes it can be tough to take that first step. But I think if you continue to reach out and take that step forward in terms of starting a conversation with anybody, just be there for them."
As one of the success stories as it pertains to youth raised in Pālolo Valley, Maiava wanted to make sure his travels before the season included another trip back home. Seven summers ago, Maiava moved back home ahead of his sophomore year at Kaimukī High School from Las Vegas with hopes of making something out of his life. In 2026 alone, Maiava has been the face of an anticipated USC season and has earned the national hype that comes with it. Earlier in the month, he was unveiled as one the cover athletes in EA Sports College Football 27's deluxe edition.
What would the fully grown Maiava have told high school Jayden, the kid still finding his way?
"I'd probably say how you do one thing is how you do everything, and that's probably the biggest piece of advice," Maiava said. "What you do outside the football field reflects what you do on a football field."
During the weekend's activations, Maiava made sure to involve his backfield mate in Jordan, giving the pair a chance to build on their chemistry even further before camp begins.
"Jayden was actually one of the first players I met last year," said Jordan, who joined the Trojans in 2025 out of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. "I didn't know he was a quarterback at first. I didn't do my research like I should have, but you could tell by his personality he was a quarterback. He was just a good dude. He was just welcoming, open arms, showed me around a little bit, and then he's just been one of the best quarterbacks I ever played with."
From left to right: David Tautofi, Jayden Maiava, Rick Blangiardi and Waymond Jordan. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Jayden Maiava poses for a photo with a USC fan on Saturday. Photo by Christian Shimabuku (Aloha State Daily Staff)
Once the mini tour across the country ends and camp begins, Maiava and the Trojans feel they have the ability to do something special. USC, which was the gold standard in college football in the early 2000s with national titles in 2003 and 2004, is looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time as a program.
"Super excited," Maiava said. "We got a really talented team with coach (Lincoln) Riley and the staff. We're ready to go win, ready to go compete."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
