How Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers’ connection off the field led to dominance on the field

LSU’s offense was rolling. 

It was a warm Saturday morning in Starkville, Mississippi, when the Tigers were forced to settle for a short field goal after moving the ball down the field with ease on its first drive against Mississippi State.

But field goals weren’t going to be enough to satisfy LSU.

The Tigers came into this game 1-1, and fans were already putting pressure on the team and coaching staff after a 45-24 loss to Florida State. Few players were criticized as much as Jayden Daniels.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was officially named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy on Monday along with Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Marvi…

LSU’s offense was hardly the problem against Florida State, but there were missed opportunities, and as the quarterback and face of the team, Daniels got the brunt of the criticism.

After LSU settled for a field goal in a goal-to-go situation against Mississippi State to start the game, the pressure intensified. Then the most explosive connection in college football introduced itself to the world.

Four plays into its next drive, Daniels threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Malik Nabers on a slot fade. It was exactly the type of play LSU fans were calling for as complaints grew about LSU’s lack of downfield passing.

That play was just the beginning.

Daniels and Nabers each had career days. Nabers finished with 13 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns while Daniels finished 30 of 34 passing with 361 yards and two touchdowns. 

The success against Mississippi State laid the foundation for a season of dominance through the air from the duo. 

Nabers finished the season with 86 catches for 1,546 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, becoming the school’s all-time leader in catches while doing so. Daniels threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, 23 more than he threw the previous season.

Now, the two players each have a chance to have their names immortalized. Daniels looks to become the third Heisman Trophy winner in LSU history Saturday night and Nabers has a chance to become the third Biletnikoff winner from LSU.

“I wish I was there with him today,” Daniels said Friday afternoon. “But I’m just proud of everything he’s done and that he’s accomplished in his career. He set goals for himself before he got there and to see it come to fruition, I’m proud of him.”

“He’s the best player in college football in my eyes,” Nabers said of Daniels. 

However, their relationship goes deeper than touchdown passes and explosive plays fans see on a weekly basis.

“That’s my brother,” Daniels said of Nabers. “We’ve grown so much on and off the field together.”

This season was the second year the two played together and the first with a full offseason. Daniels arrived at LSU in the spring prior to the 2022 season, but he and Nabers still impressed in Year 1 despite the lack of familiarity.

Nabers caught 72 passes for 1,017 yards and three touchdowns, while Daniels threw for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns. They built their connection during the season, but the 2023 offseason was where their relationship developed to where it is today.

Whether it was watching film together, going out to eat, shopping or any other activity, the chemistry between the two blossomed during the offseason.

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Nabers said always being around each other outside the facility was the key to building their unbreakable chemistry on the field. 

They bonded over food and shopping more than anything else off the field. University Seafood was their favorite spot, according to Nabers, despite Daniels, a native of San Bernardino, California, not being the biggest seafood fan.

“We eat a lot of seafood because he’s really a seafood type of guy, but when I bring him there, he eats a lot,” Nabers said.

The two would also frequent Saks Fifth Avenue and Louis Vuitton, where Nabers joked that Daniels “spends way too much money.”

By the end of the offseason, the two knew each other like family. The connection off the field influenced their connection on the field, which was evident in their timing.

From the first game of the season, Nabers was Daniels’ favorite target, becoming his go-to on third downs and every play where they needed a few yards. The frequent comeback routes showed how clearly the two were on the same page, as Daniels knew how to get the ball to Nabers’ hands right as he was coming out of his break.

Their connection became too much for opposing defenses to handle, and that resulted in LSU becoming the No. 1 offense in college football and the two players having a chance to win two of the most prestigious awards in the sport.