USC football is making a change at quarterback. UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava will start in place of Miller Moss against Nebraska next week, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.

The quarterback change comes with the Trojans needing a spark. USC has lost four of its last five games, and the team is under .500 at 4-5. While Moss has played well for stretches, he’s thrown costly interceptions in each of the Trojans’ five defeats. 

Prior to Monday, USC head coach Lincoln Riley had consistently backed Moss this season despite USC’s struggles. After the Trojans’ 26-21 loss to Washington on Saturday, Riley said he didn’t plan on giving Maiava more snaps in the immediate future. 

“I wouldn’t say that right now, no,” Riley said. “For us right now, what we’re looking at is the best lineup, the best people to help us win each and every week and we’re going to keep our focus there.”

Clearly something has changed. 

Maiava transferred to USC from UNLV before spring practice in the offseason. He’d initially committed to Georgia out of the portal before flipping to USC. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Maiava took over in Week 4 last season for injured UNLV starting quarterback Doug Brumfield. Maiava won his first four games and led the Rebels to the Mountain West Conference championship game. He completed 63.5 percent of his passes for 3,085 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, which earned him Mountain West Freshman Player of the Year honors.

Maiava is more mobile than Moss, which is likely another factor behind the quarterback change. He had 73 carries at UNLV last season for 277 yards and three touchdowns, and he has shown his ability to run in limited action this year.

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“I just love competing,” Maiava said in the spring. “I love going out there and not just bringing my best but bringing the best out of my teammates. So just going out there and helping the team win.” 

Since losing the starting quarterback battle in fall camp, Maiava continued to compete, which opened the door for him to take a jump up the depth chart. After an up-and-down spring, Maiava took major steps forward in the summer and closed the gap between himself and Moss.

“It was a close competition,” Riley said in August. “I give Miller a lot of credit. I think he improved and handled the competition well. Jayden improved drastically. I think we all expected there would be some improvement. It was a major, major jump for him, and I’m really proud of how he handled the competition. He was right there neck and neck with Miller the entire time, which was a big move from the spring.”

So far this season, Maiava has appeared as a backup in USC’s wins over Utah State, Wisconsin and Rutgers. He’s completed 8 of 11 passes for 66 yards and he’s rushed three times for 27 yards and a touchdown. 

He’ll look to build on those statistics next Saturday against Nebraska.