ATHENS – Georgia landed its fourth quarterback, and he appears to be a good one.
Jayden Maiava, who started as a redshirt freshman at UNLV this past season, announced Monday via his NIL representation that he has committed to play for the Bulldogs next season. Maiava becomes the fourth scholarship quarterback on Georgia’s roster, something coach Kirby Smart said the Bulldogs desperately needed when assessing the 2024 depth chart before the Orange Bowl.
Maiava joins rising senior Carson Beck, sophomore Gunner Stockton and freshman early-enrollee Ryan Puglisi in the Bulldogs’ quarterback room. UGA classes started Monday but Maiava is expected to enroll immediately.
For the Running Rebels last season, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Maiava passed for 3,085 yards and 17 touchdowns and added another 277 yards rushing and three more scores. He threw 10 interceptions. Maiva is a resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, where was a 3-star prospect at Kaimuku High School.He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Maiava becomes the sixth player to join the Bulldogs via the NCAA’s transfer portal since the December. He’s expected to be the last, at least until the next portal period, which begins May 15.
Maiava effectively replaces longtime commitment Dylan Raiola in Georgia’s quarterback room. Raiola, a 5-star prospect out of Buford, reneged on his eight-months-long pledge to sign with the Bulldogs the week of national signing day. Instead, he inked with Nebraska, which promised him a more lucrative NIL deal.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Georgia’s starting job is occupied by Beck. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound rising senior threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns in his first season as the Bulldogs’ starter. In December, Beck decided to play a fifth season of college football rather than test the NFL Draft. Smart hinted during Orange Bowl preparations that the Bulldogs would be looking to land another quarterback via the portal.
“Our hard number is four,” he said of scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. “We want to be at four, and we’re not at four. So, again, we’ll look at our options and see what we can do there. We would like to be at four; that’s our goal.”
Maiva immediately becomes the Bulldogs’ most experienced backup. Stockton played in four games this past season, finishing with 148 yards passing and 63 rushing. His most extensive play came in the Orange Bowl, where he went 6-of-10 for 96 yards and 2 TDs and ran for another 46 yards on 7 carries.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
