LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels has been on the map for a long time. The former four-star recruit was ranked as the second-best dual-threat QB in his recruiting class, but that was back in 2018. He’s been in college since 2019, beginning his career with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Daniels made history at Arizona State, becoming the first true freshman to start a game for the Sun Devils, and he earned the job from the very beginning, beating out the rest of the competition in training camp. After an impressive freshman season that saw him finish as an honorable mention for the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year award, Daniels couldn’t find the same success his next two seasons.
It wasn’t until he transferred to LSU in 2022 that Daniels resurrected his collegiate career, throwing 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions while helping the Tigers improve from a six-win team to one that won ten games.
While Daniels was back on track last season, the 22-year-old has since taken yet another leap in his development, becoming a Heisman candidate in 2023.
- Jayden Daniels stats in 2022: 2,913 passing yards, 17 TD, 3 INT, 68.6% comp. rate
- Jayden Daniels stats this season: 2,573 passing yards, 25 TD, 3 INT, 73.1% comp. rate
According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Daniels has “really helped himself” according to pro scouts evaluating prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. Yet, while Daniels has had a great season, his upcoming matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide, who routinely sends a group of defensive prospects to the NFL each season, could be a big factor in determining his draft position next April.
The Crimson Tide rank 17th in the nation, allowing 16.5 points per game across eight matchups so far this season. The LSU vs Alabama matchup kicks off at 7:45 PM ET on CBS.
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