UNLV Rebels quarterback Jayden Maiava (1) warms up before an NCAA football game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Allegiant Stadium Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.
Monday, Dec. 25, 2023 | 2 a.m.
Two days after UNLV lost in the Mountain West championship game, freshman quarterback Jayden Maiava was going about his normal Monday routine, stretching, studying and checking in for a meal at the team’s on-campus facility.
Then his phone started to ring. Teammates, firing questions at him, grilling him.
Where are you? What’s going on? Is this for real?
Maiava quickly figured out why the texts were pouring in. A recruiting site had reported on Twitter that he intended to enter the transfer portal, which would have been a seismic development for the UNLV program.
The problem was, it wasn’t true. Fresh off winning the No. 1 quarterback job, leading the Scarlet and Gray to their best campaign in decades and earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors, Maiava was happy with his situation at UNLV and wasn’t about to start shopping himself to other universities.
“It caught me by surprise,” Maiava says of the report. “I saw the tweet, and I looked back like, I know I didn’t really talk to anyone about entering [the portal]. It was surprising.”
Top receiver Ricky White was one of the first to fire off a message.
“I sent him a screenshot of the [Tweet] and asked him if it was true,” White says.
Slot receiver Jacob De Jesus was caught off-guard and quickly reached out to his quarterback.
“It was definitely chaotic,” De Jesus recalls. “I was like, ‘What is this?’ I kept seeing all these posts on Twitter, and finally I was like I’m going to text him myself and see what’s up. So I texted him and he was like, ‘Man, that’s bogus. All that stuff is not true, I don’t know where they’re getting their information. I don’t even know how to enter the portal.’ So we just laughed about it.”
As the frenzy quieted and cooler heads prevailed, everyone involved could take a deep breath: Maiava is at UNLV for the long haul.
That includes Tuesday, when Maiava will lead UNLV against Kansas in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl (6 p.m., ESPN).
Maiava’s continuing commitment to the program is a big deal for the Scarlet and Gray, as the team has spent years looking for a building block at the game’s most important position. In Maiava, they seem to have found their quarterback of the present and future.
Maiava’s unlikely ascension began in the spring, when he got his first opportunity to digest the new offensive system being installed by coordinator Brennan Marion and head coach Barry Odom. The fast-paced go-go offense suited Maiava’s abilities and playing style, and he acclimated in short order, locking down the No. 2 slot on the depth chart.
Through training camp, Maiava focused on improving his command of the playbook and competing for his role, while at the same time not openly challenging Doug Brumfield, the entrenched starter. It was a difficult balance, but Maiava did what the coaches asked of him.
When Brumfield went down with an injury in Week 3, Maiava was prepared to step in.
“When my name was called, I was ready,” he says.
The transition was made easier because he had already earned the respect of his teammates. White, De Jesus and the rest of the offense knew Maiava took a serious approach to the game and that he would give them a chance to win.
“Jayden has always been there,” White says. “Throughout the offseason Jayden was taking the same amount of reps Doug was taking. I knew leading up to the season, Jayden is a special kid.
Maiava led a late comeback against Vanderbilt in his first game, and then just kept winning. UNLV was victorious in Maiava’s first four starts, running up a 6-1 record on the season and becoming bowl-eligible for the first time since 2013.
Despite that success, Maiava did not take his job for granted. Though he was elevated to No. 1 on the official depth chart, he had to prove in practice each week that he was still the best choice at quarterback.
Speaking at media day for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, Maiava reported he was never told by the coaches that he would be the starter going forward.
“They just kind of left me in there,” he says with a smile. “I just love playing football, so if my name is called, I’m going to go play.”
Maiava finished the regular season completing 62.9% of his passes for 2,794 yards and 14 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He has also shown the ability to run the ball, taking advantage of option plays in the go-go playbook to pick up 261 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Odom credits Maiava for putting in the time and effort to be a top quarterback, pointing to his steady, incremental improvement throughout the year as evidence of the kid’s work ethic.
“There wasn’t just one defining moment, like ‘OK, this kid is going to be able to lead us to playing winning football,’” Odom says. “I think he has gotten better as the season has gone on.”
One of Maiava’s best performances came in UNLV’s 45-27 win at UNR on Oct. 14. In just his third start, Maiava hit on 19-of-24 passes for 259 yards, with two touchdowns and no turnovers, helping the Scarlet and Gray retain possession of the Fremont Cannon.
Despite the fiery stat line, Maiava never got too animated in the postgame celebration, which prompted Odom to nickname him “Mr. Stoic.”
That attitude has served Maiava well during his breakout season, according to Odom.
“He’s very mature,” Odom says. “He doesn’t get too high or too low emotionally. He just kind of stays the course, and most good quarterbacks have those qualities.”
Through the ups and downs of the season, Maiava has maintained a level head, which is how he has been able to lead UNLV to three comeback wins in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a confident kid,” De Jesus says. “He’s just a very confident player, and also poised. He stays calm in big moments, which is good to see. He’s made a lot of clutch plays this season.”
Maiava will cap his whirlwind campaign on Tuesday against Kansas. Win or lose, UNLV has to feel good about finally having a long-term cornerstone at quarterback.
Odom expects the offense to continue to build around Maiava — now that he’s smacked down those portal reports.
“He’s got great arm talent, so there’s not throws we try to stay away from,” Odom says. “I think his reads have slowed down for him, so that will only continue with reps. And he has the ability to be a runner and make things happen in the quarterback run game.
“I think we can build around a lot of the things in his natural skill set.”
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
