Who Is Jayden Maiava?
Jayden Maiava is a 6 foot 4, 220-pound quarterback who played for UNLV this past season, according to 247 Sports. This past season, he had 3085 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. That led to him having a 57.2 QBR. He was nothing remarkable on paper, but he was a guy who played above what he had around him. Many of his interceptions were the receiver’s fault, and when they entered the red zone, they liked to run it. They did not have a red zone threat on that offense. Tight ends were not very good, and they had one solid receiver in Ricky White, who accounted for more than 1/3 of the team’s receiving yards. The next closest guy had 606 and was not a red zone threat. Teams that could contend with Illinois on getting Maiava are Auburn, Liberty, Minnesota, and Cal. All these teams have shown some interest and need a quarterback. Minnesota and Liberty are the primary schools that make the most sense. So, how much better is Maiava than Luke Altmyer?
How Does He Compare To Altmyer?
According to ESPN, Altmyer had 1883 yards, 13 touchdowns, and ten interceptions last season. There is nowhere near Maiava’s numbers, as shown in the opening paragraph. So, let’s talk about play styles and how they differ. Maiava is a more traditional quarterback who does not run the ball often. We talked about how Minnesota and Liberty may have interest, but so may Nebraska. They could be looking for a 1-year rental as Dylan Riola sits his 1st year there and starts next year as a red-shirt freshman. Altmyer has shown he is different from the guy so far in his career. He could not begin to at Ole Miss; when he did at Illinois, he could have been better to average. Giving him another year in a supped-up BIG 10 this upcoming year is something no Illini fan should want. Add a guy who can be the starter for over a year and take full advantage of it. If Illinois moves soon, they can avoid being stuck with Luke Altmyer at the bottom of the BIG 10.
The Wrap Up
Illinois fans, the BIG 10 is getting a lot better next season. With the addition of USC, Oregon, Washington, and UCLA, the Fighting Illini need to improve their team through the transfer portal. Up to this point, they have yet to add many players through the transfer portal. They have lost their starting running back from this past season. If they can add a true starting-caliber quarterback, this could get them to a winning season. If you want to stay updated on Illini transfer portal news and possible accusations, follow this page for more of that news.
