When five-star Husan Longstreet left USC for LSU, rumors started taking shape, claiming that he had some bad blood with Jayden Maiava. However, Maiava shut it down pretty quickly. In a recent interview, he said he’s genuinely happy for his former backup and is looking forward to him succeeding in the SEC.

“I’m really excited and super happy for him,” Maiava said. “Heard a lot of good things, and I can’t wait to see him ball out and continue to do his thing. I’m rooting for him.”

Maiava’s words carried weight because they came on Wednesday during On3’s exclusive sit-down with Pete Nakos, the same reporter who broke Longstreet’s LSU commitment on January 13. The Hawaiian quarterback didn’t dodge the tough question about his successor leaving for the SEC. Instead, he chose to publicly back the guy who once stood in his shoes, quieting months of Facebook rumor mills claiming a fractured locker room.

Longstreet originally flipped his commitment from Texas A&M because he was expected to be the next great gunslinger under Lincoln Riley’s offensive scheme. After all, he was a highly touted five-star prospect from Corona Centennial and was ranked as the No. 4 quarterback in the national recruiting class. Assuming Maiava’s 2024 form, many believed it was only a matter of time before Husan won the locker room.

However, the ball didn’t bounce that way, apparently. Maiava won the hearts of Trojans after putting together a monster 2025 breakthrough year. The former four-star racked up about 3,431 passing yards and threw for 23 touchdowns in the regular season.

The Trojans’ #14 led the entire Big Ten in passing yards and finished the calendar year boasting a nation-leading 91.3 total QBR, heading into December. Meanwhile, when you compare it to Longstreet, Husan spent most of his 2025 freshman season on the bench. He played in just four games, mostly in mop-up duty, completing 13 of 15 passes for 103 yards.

The transfer portal started moving when Maiava decided to skip the NFL Draft. Some thought he would go pro, but he instead signed a contract extension to stay with the Trojans for his senior year.

Longstreet entered the portal on December 17, one day after Maiava announced his return for 2026. Pete Nakos confirmed the LSU commitment, with Longstreet joining Sam Leavitt and Landen Clark in Lane Kiffin’s QB room. The five-star still has four years of eligibility remaining, seeking clearer playing time than backing up Maiava offered. Realizing his path to the field was completely blocked for the 2026 season, Longstreet chose to protect his remaining four years of college eligibility and hit the portal for a fresh start.

At the end of the day, if you are sitting on the bench regardless, why not sit with the highest payer? According to reports, the Tigers are paying millions for Husan, which is slightly more than twice the money he used to get at USC ($750K–$900K). Even though Maiava is actively supporting his friend’s new path, he has a ridiculous amount of personal pressure resting on his shoulders right now.

Maiava’s big year?

He recently admitted to On3 that he is heading into this final stretch of his college career with a chip on his shoulder.

Despite his Big Ten passing crown, the Trojan star bluntly stated that he feels like he hasn’t actually accomplished anything yet, according to On3.

“I don’t think there’s anything that I’ve accomplished yet.”

The very reason for the chip on his shoulder is the lack of respect he’s getting from national sports analysts. For instance, On3’s J.D. Pickell recently placed Maiava at the absolute bottom of his Post-Spring Top 10 Quarterbacks list, ranking him behind less-proven arms. However, the road feels bumpier than it has ever been. The Trojans finished 9-4, which is not good enough for Lincoln Riley. For Maiava, any season without a Big Ten title or a playoff run feels like a failure, and he wants to fix that.

The coaches have already seen progress, with Riley praising how Maiava had a great spring with no bad days. He’s had a fantastic spring. He’s been much, much better than he has been in any practice setting that we’ve had,” Riley said. Knowing they have five offensive linemen returning next season, it’s not absurd at all to assume he could end up as a Heisman Trophy finalist, if anything.