Jayden Daniels entered the transfer portal on February 18th, electing to leave Arizona State. However, on Sunday, Daniels committed to play at LSU. Tigers coach Brian Kelly said Daniels is an outstanding player who will strengthen the LSU quarterback room.
“Jayden is an outstanding player who will make our quarterback room even stronger,” Kelly said in a statement. “He’s a playmaker with a strong arm and the ability to make plays with his feet. We are excited to welcome Jayden to our program as we continue to build a roster of student-athletes who will compete for championships on the field and work just as hard in the classroom to earn their degree.”
In three seasons at Arizona State, Daniels threw for 6,035 yards and 32 touchdowns, he also rushed for 1,288 yards and 13 touchdowns. As a freshman Daniels threw for 2,943 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. Daniels passed for 2,380 yards this past season with ten touchdowns and ten interceptions.
Daniels joined a crowded LSU quarterback room with Myles Brennan and Garrett Nussmeier returning. Additionally, Walker Howard, a five-star recruit, is also headed to LSU. Brennan was the favorite to win the job at season’s end, however Daniels transfer and Howard’s commitment suddenly creates a competition for QB1 in 2022.
With Daniels’s athletic ability, he is excellent at escaping pressure. When the offensive line breaks down, he can extend plays with his legs and either run for a first down or find the open receiver. Last year Daniels had to run a lot and rushed for a career-high 710 yards. Daniels’s mobility could help make LSU’s offense more dynamic, meaning a plethora of zone-read plays could be in the playbook next year.
Daniels usually does a good job of taking care of the football, but he did throw ten interceptions this past season. On occasion he overthrew targets but he did complete a career-high 65.4% of his passes while throwing for 2,380 yards.
During his Freshman campaign, Daniels was only picked off two times. But, at LSU, Daniels must get back to taking care of the football for the Tigers to be victorious. The quarterback will be surrounded with better talent but will also face top notch defenses in the SEC.
As it stands, Daniels is the most experienced person in the LSU quarterback room. He’s seen plenty of different defensive looks over the years and could help the younger quarterbacks along the way. LSU added a lot of players from the transfer portal and having a quarterback like Daniels to lead them could go a long way.
The former Arizona State quarterback came into the season as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He could have entered the NFL Draft with a strong season, but fell short of expectations and opted to transfer to LSU. If Daniels can put big numbers this year, his draft stock could skyrocket. If he’s able to take care of the ball and make plays with his legs, LSU could make some noise in the SEC.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83