Will USC Freshman QB Jonas Williams Be Ready If Needed?

No. 19 USC football and the No. 12 UCLA Bruins are both on a path to meet in what could be a win or go home type of game with potential playoff implications. 

The difference is that 5-0 UCLA will be without its starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava who tore his ACL against the Oregon Ducks in UCLA's last game.

Nico came to UCLA from the Tennessee Volunteers after a messy transfer process that made national news. Iamaleava stayed at UCLA after the new head coach was hired in December of 2025. Chesney now must find a way to replace his quarterback who has 29 starts in his career.

The experienced Iamaleava was a dynamic athlete who Chesney could count on. Now Chesney must rely on redshirt junior Ty Dieffenbach, whose experience includes sitting on the bench for two years for the Pittsburgh Panthers before starting nine games for the Cal Poly Mustangs.

With the reality and consistency of injuries in college football, the Iamaleava injury makes you wonder if that happened to USC, could they survive it? 

USC’s offense is loaded. Riley’s offensive line was just recognized as one of the top units in the country. Trent Mosley was just named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Riley was also named to the  Dodd Trophy watchlist, honoring the best coach in college football.

The key figure in all this is Jayden Maiava. Maiava is in his third season as Riley’s starter. Riley is considered a quarterback guru as the only head coach/play caller to boast three Heisman Trophy quarterbacks. Maiava’s time with Riley in addition to talent around him is the reason for USC’s success in 2026.

Then you have true freshman Jonas Williams. Williams was the Gatorade Football Player of the Year in Illinois, which means he’s legit as far as high school talent goes. The issue is that he’s a freshman who doesn't have an understanding of the offense like the experienced and proven Maiava.

Riley has already played Williams in four games this season. Williams saw action against the Fresno State Bulldogs, Louisiana Ragin Cajans, San Jose State Spartans, and the Washington Huskies. On the season Williams is 12-of-14 for 126 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.

Even with all the talent around him, Riley’s offense would not function the same with the freshman quarterback. 

In the day and age of the transfer portal and NIL, teams are grabbing all the experienced quarterbacks they can. There was a time when freshman quarterbacks played, but nowadays you can buy experience, which makes a huge difference. 

Maiava has never missed a game due to injury during his time at USC. Though Williams has shown promise, USC's best chance to get to the playoffs is with Maiava under center. 

If USC’s defense was better (currently No. 47), that could make it easier for USC in a Maiava-less situation. Even though Riley's defense has shown up the last two games, this is an offense led team. It is led by a quarterback many expect to be a first-round pick. 

USC fans will celebrate UCLA not being at full strength when they play on Nov. 28. Considering some of the issues with the USC defense, it will definitely be an advantage to not play against Iamaleava. 

For USC, this is the season of Jayden Maiava, if he is not on the field, then the Jonas Williams era will begin. With that comes freshman mistakes that USC can't afford with the schedule they have in front of them.