By CJ Carlson
Jayden Daniels had one of the most electrifying seasons in college football during 2023, and it’s the reason why he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. LSU’s starting quarterback was able to beat out a couple of other great players in college football such as Oregon’s quarterback Bo Nix, Washington’s quarterback Michael Penix Jr, and Ohio State’s wide receiver Marvin Harrison. Daniels finished in first place with 2,029 points, Penix was right behind with 1,701, and Nix was third with 885. Harrison only received 353 points.
Daniels led the LSU Tigers to a 9-3 overall record under their head coach Brian Kelly. However, if it wasn’t for him, their offense wouldn’t have been nearly as explosive. Jayden Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions. He was third in passing yards in the FBS and tied for first in passing touchdowns. In fact, he was able to throw at least one touchdown pass in every single game.
He threw at least three touchdowns in nine games as well. Yet again, that’s not the entire story. Daniels was an accomplished runner when the passing game couldn’t get going. He ran for 1,134 yards and 10 more touchdowns. He was the best in FBS when it came to yards per rush with 8.4 per carry.
Jayden Daniels Was Grateful For The Journey
When Daniels was called up to accept his speech, he had a ton of great things to say about not just his journey, but the competitors in the Heisman race. He said, “This is a dream come true. I want to first give thanks to God for all the glory. He’s my rock. He’s my savior. He blessed me with the talents and ability to get here. All the special people here to develop these skills. To Bo, Mike and Marvin, you guys are amazing. I enjoy watching y’all, but the competition is never over. I look forward to seeing you guys on Sundays.”
Now, Daniels didn’t just appear as a superstar quarterback in 2023. He was in Arizona State during 2022 and transferred at the end of the season to get into LSU. When he was with Arizona State, he had a 10-4 overall record, threw for 2,913 yards, and 29 total touchdowns. It was a good season, but one that he easily overtook with the way that he performed in a new school in 2023.
He’s the third LSU player to ever win the Heisman award, with the most recent one being Joe Burrow in 2019. Before Burrow though, LSU hadn’t had a Heisman winner since Billy Cannon did it in 1959. Speaking of Burrow, Daniels actually resembles the career trajectory that he had. Burrow started his collegiate career at one school, then just blew up the gridiron on a new team. The same even goes for Michael Penix, who transferred from Indiana to Washington, and Bo Nix, who transferred from Auburn to Oregon.
