2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Jayden Daniels, a quarterback from Louisiana State University. He hails from San Bernadino, California, and was a 4-star recruit from Cajon High School. He was ranked the #1 dual-threat quarterback in his class.
As soon as Daniels enrolled at Arizona State, he started playing as a true freshman under the coaching of Herm Edwards. He displayed his impressive talent by throwing for 2,943 yards, 17 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions while completing 60.7% of his passes throughout the year.
During his sophomore year at Arizona State, Jayden Daniels was only able to play in four games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he was able to leverage the NCAA’s ruling and use the COVID waiver to gain another year of eligibility. In the 2020 season, he demonstrated significant improvement in his rushing abilities, with an average of 6.8 yards per carry, a notable increase from the previous year’s 2.8 yards per carry. However, he completed only 58.3% of his passes, throwing for 701 yards, 5 touchdowns, and just 1 interception.
In 2021, Daniels had an inconsistent junior season. Although his completion percentage improved, he struggled with ball security, having 10 turnovers compared to just 3 interceptions in his first 2 years. He ended the season with 2,381 passing yards, completing 65% of his passes and throwing 10 touchdowns along with 10 interceptions. After the year ended, Daniels entered the transfer portal and enrolled at LSU for coach Brian Kelly.
During his first year in the purple and gold, Daniels delivered his career’s best performance. He led LSU to 10 victories, concluding with 2,913 passing yards, 17 touchdowns, and a mere three interceptions. He achieved a remarkable 68.3% pass completion rate and a career-high of 885 rushing yards.
In the year 2023, Daniels saved his best performance for the last, finally living up to the expectations of his fans and winning the much-coveted Heisman trophy. Daniels was responsible for an impressive 50 touchdowns in total, leading the NCAA in yards per attempt, passing efficiency rating, and total yards, all while turning the ball over just four times. Daniels also achieved a rare feat, joining Johnny Manziel as the only two players in SEC history to pass for 3,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
The upside for Jayden Daniels is as high as any quarterback coming into the league. He is expected to likely be a top 5 pick in the upcoming NFL draft. If he can replicate his final season at LSU, he has the potential to be one of the best signal callers in the league.
Measurables
NCAA Statistics
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2019 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | FR | QB | 12 | 205 | 338 | 60.7 | 2943 | 8.7 | 9.4 | 17 | 2 | 149.2 |
| 2020 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | SO | QB | 4 | 49 | 84 | 58.3 | 701 | 8.3 | 9.0 | 5 | 1 | 145.7 |
| *2021 | Arizona State | Pac-12 | JR | QB | 13 | 197 | 301 | 65.4 | 2381 | 7.9 | 7.1 | 10 | 10 | 136.2 |
| *2022 | LSU | SEC | SR | 14 | 266 | 388 | 68.6 | 2913 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 17 | 3 | 144.5 | |
| *2023 | LSU | SEC | SR | QB | 12 | 236 | 327 | 72.2 | 3812 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 40 | 4 | 208.0 |
| Career | Overall | 953 | 1438 | 66.3 | 12750 | 8.9 | 9.5 | 89 | 20 | 158.4 | ||||
| Arizona State | 451 | 723 | 62.4 | 6025 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 32 | 13 | 143.4 | |||||
| LSU | 502 | 715 | 70.2 | 6725 | 9.4 | 10.6 | 57 | 7 | 173.6 | |||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Daniel’s elite athleticism at the quarterback position allows him to turn broken plays into explosive ones.
- Arm strength to make all of the throws required at the NFL level.
- He displays impressive touch and accuracy on downfield throws, consistently placing the ball in the wide receiver’s bead basket.
- He has good footwork and mechanics when dropping back in the pocket and is unafraid to take a hit while delivering the ball.
- In the open fields, Daniels is a weapon. He frequently outruns defenders, making them look slow.
- As a quarterback, he has consistently demonstrated his ability to make smart decisions, as evidenced by his minuscule 1.6% career turnover rate.
Weaknesses
- At times, he is too eager to run instead of passing. This shows up when a play breaks down.
- Often, Daniels relies too heavily on his first read. If the primary option is covered, he tends to scramble instead of going through his progressions.
- When he leaves the pocket, his throwing mechanics become inconsistent, resulting in inaccurate passes.
- Is still raw as a quarterback and will need time to develop.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: Top 10 Overall
Ideal Landing Spot: Washington Commanders
Teams with early picks often struggle to acquire enough talented players to support their quarterback and help them succeed. But in Washington, this won’t be a problem for Daniels, as the team’s skill position group already has several playmakers who will make his transition to the professional ranks much smoother.
New GM Adam Peters will want to pick his own QB, hire a new coach, and pave the way to success with both. Jayden Daniels fulfills half of this plan.
Although Daniels is considered to have a high potential as a quarterback, he is a risky prospect. If he is drafted early, it will be important for the Commanders to provide him with the necessary support to develop his talents and reach his full potential.
Washington has struggled for seven seasons to find a worthy replacement for Kirk Cousins. However, Daniels seems to be a promising option for them to finally acquire a quarterback who can lead the team to victory and move them out of mediocrity. This could be the opportunity for Washington to build a winning team around Daniels and end their perpetual state of being stuck in the middle ground.
Post-Draft Analysis
Pick 1.02 to the Washington Commanders
Daniels
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe video breakdown of Jayden Daniels below.
