Jayden Daniels: From Academic Achievements to NFL Draft Prospect

Jayden Daniels, born on December 18, 2000, is an American professional football player who currently plays as a quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). His journey to the NFL is marked by notable academic achievements and exceptional athletic performance. Daniels' unique combination of scholastic aptitude and on-field prowess sets him apart.

Early Life and High School Career

Before his college and professional career, Daniels attended Cajon High School in San Bernardino, California, where he quickly established himself as a standout athlete. It was here that he put up impressive numbers, breaking several school and state records. In his senior season, Daniels threw for 4,515 yards and 60 touchdowns in 14 games, making him a highly sought-after recruit.

Daniels was a finalist in both the Elite 11 and The Opening passing competitions and was considered by some scouts as the best dual-threat quarterback prospect in the country. He was selected to the prestigious Under Armour All-American Game and was a consensus four-star prospect among major recruiting services. 247Sports listed him as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback prospect nationally. Rivals.com tabbed him as the No. 107 overall prospect and the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback prospect in the nation. He was ranked No. 109 in the ESPN 300.

College Career

Arizona State Sun Devils (2019-2021)

Coming out of high school, Daniels was a four-star recruit who committed to Arizona State University.

Daniels was named the starter for the Sun Devils' 2019 season after winning a quarterback competition against Joey Yellen in the offseason. He was the first Sun Devils freshman quarterback to start opening week. In 2019, Daniels put himself on the map immediately, throwing for 2,943 yards and 17 touchdowns with just two interceptions. He earned Pac-12 Conference offensive player of the week honors for week 13 in a 31-28 upset win over the No. 6 Oregon Ducks. Capped his rookie season throwing for 2,943 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Added 355 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Outplayed future NFL first round draft pick Justin Herbert in win over Oregon, throwing for 408 yards and 3 TDs in 31-28 victory over the Ducks. Completed 22-of-32 passes against Oregon. Connected with Brandon Aiyuk on an 81-yard TD with just under 4 minutes to extend ASU lead to 31-21 with 3:54 remaining in contest. Threw 3 TD passes in consecutive starts against UCLA, Oregon State and Oregon. In collegiate debut, passed for 284 yards and a pair of TDs and added a rushing score in 30-7 win over Kent State on August 29. Missed Southern Cal game with an injury but returned the following week against Oregon State. Accounted for 4 TDs twice (3 pass, 1 rush vs. UCLA). Became first true freshman quarterback in Arizona State history to start a season-opener for the Sun Devils. Capped his rookie season throwing for 2,943 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Added 355 rushing yards and 3 TDs.

Read also: Sophomore Success

The pandemic resulted in truncated schedules all across the nation for the teams that played at all in 2020.

As a junior in 2021, Daniels started to lean more on his rushing. He threw for 2,381 yards and just 10 touchdowns with a far-too-high 10 interceptions. He completed his junior year at Arizona State.

Unfortunately, Daniels had to deal with an issue completely unrelated to his on-field performance that may have impacted his play. During the 2021 season, Arizona State was the subject of an investigation into potential recruiting violations.

Transfer to LSU Tigers (2022-2023)

Daniels transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) in March 2022 to play for the Tigers. He competed with Garrett Nussmeier and Myles Brennan in camp and was named the starter for the 2022 season. Daniels took over as the starter immediately upon joining the Tigers. In October, Daniels threw two touchdowns and ran for over 100 yards and three touchdowns in a win against No. 7 ranked Ole Miss, giving the Rebels their first loss of the season and earning Southeastern Conference (SEC) offensive player of the week honors. Daniels earned another player of the week honor against the No. 6 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide the following game after running for a 25-yard touchdown with a two-point conversion pass in overtime to win 32-31. Started 12 games at quarterback in helping lead the Sun Devils to an 8-5 mark and a win over Florida State in the Sun Bowl. Became first true freshman quarterback in Arizona State history to start a season-opener for the Sun Devils. Capped his rookie season throwing for 2,943 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Added 355 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Outplayed future NFL first round draft pick Justin Herbert in win over Oregon, throwing for 408 yards and 3 TDs in 31-28 victory over the Ducks. Completed 22-of-32 passes against Oregon. Connected with Brandon Aiyuk on an 81-yard TD with just under 4 minutes to extend ASU lead to 31-21 with 3:54 remaining in contest. Threw 3 TD passes in consecutive starts against UCLA, Oregon State and Oregon. In collegiate debut, passed for 284 yards and a pair of TDs and added a rushing score in 30-7 win over Kent State on August 29. Missed Southern Cal game with an injury but returned the following week against Oregon State. Accounted for 4 TDs twice (3 pass, 1 rush vs. UCLA). He led the Tigers to a 9-3 regular season record and an appearance in the 2022 SEC Championship Game against the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs. Daniels threw for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns. Perhaps most importantly, he was back to protecting the football, throwing just three interceptions.

At this point, Daniels had played four collegiate seasons. He could have entered the NFL Draft, but he wasn’t even remotely considered a top prospect. At best, he might have been a Day 3 pick. As a result, Daniels exercised his additional year of eligibility available due to the COVID-19 season.

Daniels was named one of the team captains prior to the 2023 season. In Week 3 and 4, he earned SEC offensive player of the week honors after scoring four total touchdowns each against the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks. Daniels earned another player of the week honor two weeks later with four total touchdowns against the Missouri Tigers. He sustained a concussion from a hit by Dallas Turner in a week 9 game against No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide. In his fifth-year senior season, Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns with just four interceptions.

During the 2023 season, Daniels became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and run for 200 yards in the same game. It was performances like this that put him in pole position for the Heisman. In addition to the Heisman, Daniels won the Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award, and Manning Award. Daniels was a Consensus All-American, First-Team All-SEC member, and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Academic Achievements

While making a name for himself on the football field, Daniels also excelled academically. In 2021, Jayden graduated from Arizona State University Tempe Campus with super marks. This accomplishment underscores his commitment to balancing athletics and academics.

2023 Heisman Trophy and Accolades

In 2023, Daniels' outstanding performance culminated in winning the Heisman Trophy. In the 2023 season, Daniels scored 50 touchdowns - 40 of them passing and 10 rushing - and led the NCAA with 4,946 total yards (3,812 yards passing, 1,134 yards rushing). He became the third player in LSU history to win the Heisman, joining Joe Burrow (2019) and Billy Cannon (1959).

His list of accolades from that year includes:

Read also: Analyzing Jayden Reed's Skills

Walter Camp Player of the Year
AP Player of the Year
Sporting News Player of the Year
Davey O'Brien Award
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award
Consensus All-America selection
First-Team All-SEC
SEC Offensive Player of the Year

NFL Draft and Strengths

Jayden Daniels was selected by the Commanders second overall in the 2024 NFL draft.

Regarded as a dual-threat quarterback, Daniels is noted for having the combination of a drop-back passer's field awareness and accuracy with the speed and elusiveness to evade defenders on scrambles and keeper runs. His calm demeanor and composure in games, particularly in late-game and critical situations, are also regarded as strengths.

According to Brugler, “Daniels grades out as a top-15 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and a legitimate franchise QB option in the class. Daniels, on Day 1, should be a dynamic presence as a passer, a runner, and an RPO conductor at the NFL level. Meanwhile, on the operational side, Daniels still has room to grow. His anticipation, particularly over the middle of the field, can be hot and cold, and his twitched-up athleticism can yield a lack of mechanical control. Having said all this, there’s more than enough in Daniels’ game to fuel confidence in his projection. There’s always elevated risk in a quarterback who really only has one incredible season. For Daniels to not do that until his fifth-year senior season is definitely a concern. But before Daniels, there was another LSU QB who followed a similar path. Perhaps you’ve heard of him."

Personal Attributes and Training

Daniels' physique is described as "lanky" at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 metres) tall and around 210 pounds (95 kilograms). He cites basketball player Kobe Bryant and football players Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Reggie Bush as athletic inspirations, choosing 5 as his uniform number after McNabb and Bush.

He uses virtual reality (VR) as part of his training with software designed for VR headsets by the German company Cognilize, allowing for custom formations and plays to be used and opposing players, teams, and their stadiums to be represented. He began the practice at LSU in 2023 and continued to use the technology in the NFL, often using it at higher speeds. Daniels warms up before games with a basketball, a routine he learned from childhood friend and fellow NFL quarterback C. J. Beathard.

Career Statistics and Records

In 55 games (29 at Arizona State, 26 at LSU), Daniels is the only player in FBS history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards. Career totals stand at 12,749 passing yards and 3,307 rushing yards. He started 55 games at quarterback (26 at LSU, 29 at Arizona State) with a 37-18 overall mark, including a 19-7 record with the Tigers. Daniels accounted for 124 touchdowns during his collegiate career (89 passing, 34 rushing, 1 receiving). He rushed and passed for a TD in same game 22 times during his career (13 at LSU, 9 at Arizona State). LSU was 11-2 when he rushed and passed for a touchdown.

LSU career numbers stand at 6,725 passing yards, 2,019 rushing yards and 8,744 yards of total offense. On LSU’s all-time list, he ranks No. 2 in TDs responsible for (79), No. 3 in total offense (8,744) and passing TDs (57), and No. 4 in passing yards (6,725).

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