-
Mel Kiper Jr., Football analyst
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels’ journey from top-50 recruit in 2019 to overwhelming 2023 Heisman favorite has been nothing short of incredible. Daniels showed early flashes of potential as a true freshman at Arizona State, throwing 17 touchdown passes and just two interceptions. After two up-and-down, frustrating seasons, however, he entered the transfer portal in 2022, landing with the Tigers and new coach Brian Kelly.
And now? Daniels has made a huge improvement over the past two seasons, throwing and running all over the SEC. He had 28 total touchdowns (17 passing) a year ago but leveled up to 50 this season, with 40 through the air and just four interceptions. He has gone from a likely Day 3 NFL draft pick to a legitimate Round 1 prospect in the 2024 class. I have him at No. 4 in my quarterback rankings — ahead of fellow Heisman finalists Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. — but he would slide up a spot if Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders really does stay in school.
We’ve seen quarterback prospects skyrocket to the top of the board in recent years — Baker Mayfield (2018), Kyler Murray (2019) and Joe Burrow (2020) all went No. 1 overall — but the leap Daniels has made is scarcely believable based on what we saw a few seasons ago, both in his passing prowess and in the way he has added weight to his 6-foot-4 frame.
How did Daniels get here? Where has he improved most? And where could he get drafted in April? Let’s dive into his biggest strengths and what NFL scouts and front-office executives will be watching for over the next few months:
Jump to a section:
Dual-threat ability | Passing improvement
Biggest questions | Draft projection
Stats over 29 starts at Arizona State from 2019-21: 32 TD passes, 13 INTs while completing 62.4% of his passes; 13 rushing TDs
Stats over 26 starts at LSU from 2022-23: 57 TD passes, 7 INTs while completing 70.2% of his passes; 21 rushing TDs