LSU’s Jayden Daniels following familiar path to Heisman Trophy contention ahead of massive clash vs. Alabama

In the wake of Jayden Daniels’ transfer from Arizona State to LSU in 2022, a viral video made the rounds showing ASU players cleaning out the quarterback’s locker in an apparent fit of frustration. In that moment, it was difficult to imagine a reality in which Daniels would be one of the top quarterbacks in all of college football and in the thick of the Heisman Trophy conversation. But Daniels’ college football journey is representative of many success stories of the modern era — one in which quarterback transfers find in their new location the opportunity to develop into one of the sport’s biggest stars. 

As Daniels prepares to take on Alabama with a chance to knock off the Crimson Tide for a second consecutive season, he will be focused on how his year-over-year improvements and the offensive explosion of this season can help the Tigers win and move one step closer to another SEC West title. 

But everyone else? We’re focused on Daniels and whether his leadership of the Tigers’ high-flying offense can find similar success against the best defense he’s faced all season. Daniels has performed like one of the most outstanding players in all of college football for most of the season, but a win against the Tide would add the auspicious “Heisman moment” to the stat-stuffing that has already made him a contender. 

LSU ranks No. 1 nationally in scoring offense (47.4 points per game), No. 1 in total offense (552.9 yards per game) and No. 3 in passing offense (339.9 yards per game) while having the fewest punts (15) of anyone at the FBS level. Alabama coach Nick Saban did not waste any time this week pointing to the reason for the Tigers’ offensive success, crediting Daniels as the centerpiece but also noting how the QB has improved since their epic overtime meeting last season. 

“Overall, they execute their offense to perfection, and it starts with him [Daniels] because he makes the right reads relative to runs and passes and zone-option plays and pass-down plays,” Saban said, per 247Sports. “He’s very good at reading coverages and makes really quick decisions.

“All those things were evident last year by the way he played,” he continued, “and I think he’s probably even better now because he has even more experience and knowledge in the offense, and they’ve got really good players around him.” 

Daniels’ improvement has raised LSU’s ceiling

Daniels has improved dramatically from 2022 to 2023, and that has not been some kind of fluke. Working with offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, Daniels started in the summer and fall camp with an intentional focus on improving as a deep ball passer. It’s paid off, both on a down-to-down basis and with big, explosive plays. Daniels has jumped from averaging 7.5 yards per drop back to 11.5 yards per drop back, and he leads the nation with 23 passing plays of 30-plus yards. 

LSU has enjoyed talented wide receivers year over year in Baton Rouge, but when the quarterback trusts his reads and can elevate the downfield passing attack, that talent on the perimeter will shine. Wide receiver Malik Nabers currently leads the nation at 122.6 yards receiving per game while Brian Thomas is tied for the FBS lead in receiving touchdowns with 11. (Nabers is just a couple of scores behind him and tied for fifth nationally with nine.) Both receivers were factors in the passing game last season as well, but Daniels’ improvement has helped unlock the potential of that group. 

A Burrow-like campaign

If the story of an LSU transfer quarterback taking a jump from one year to the next sounds familiar, the numbers certainly back it up. Joe Burrow was a serviceable quarterback for LSU in 2018, with then-sophomore Justin Jefferson and then-freshman Ja’Marr Chase serving as productive and important pieces of the Tigers’ passing attack. But when Burrow leveled up to his Heisman Trophy-caliber of performance in 2019, so too did Chase and Jefferson. Like Nabers and Thomas, they soared to the top of the sport in both receiving yards and touchdowns, combining for more than 3,300 yards and 38 touchdown by the conclusion of LSU’s 15-game title march. Chase and Jefferson always had talent that positioned them for an NFL future, but Burrow’s year-over-year improvement aided in the highest levels of success in college.

And as we prepare for Saturday night’s massive showdown against Alabama, Daniels finds himself nearly in-step with the 2019 edition of Burrow at this point in this season.  

Through eight games, as LSU prepared to travel to Tuscaloosa to take on a top-10 Alabama team, Burrow had statistics that nearly mirror where Daniels is at in the exact same spot. Burrow had a few more touchdowns and passing yards, but Daniels has the edge on yards per attempt and with fewer interceptions. Daniels also leads an offense that’s averaging slightly more points per game. 

Joe Burrow (2019)

30

4

2,805

10.8

46.8 PPG

Jayden Daniels (2023)

25

3

2,573

11.5

47.4 PPG

Burrow, of course, led LSU to a 46-41 win against Alabama in Tuscaloosa in the ninth game of the season, and then proceeded to dice up every remaining defense on the schedule en route to winning the Heisman Trophy and a national championship. While two losses already make the College Football Playoff picture a bit murkier for this LSU team, a similar winning performance for Daniels will position him as the new Heisman Trophy favorite. 

Transfer QB trend in Heisman voting

It’s not just the statistical dominance or similarity to Burrow that is relevant to the Heisman Trophy conversation. Daniels has a chance to be yet another in a long line of transfer quarterbacks that voters have grown to appreciate. While there may be college football fans who decry the ability for players to restart their careers at another program, recent Heisman history says voters seem unbothered by players who have been through such a journey and turned out better for the move. 

Four of the last six Heisman winners have been transfer quarterbacks, including last year’s winner, Caleb Williams. When Burrow won in 2019, the second-place (Jalen Hurts) and third-place (Justin Fields) vote-getters were both transfer quarterbacks. Maybe the fresh start has an impact on the attention span of the Heisman voters, or maybe these are the success stories of players who have invested in the process of improvement amidst change and upheaval in their college careers. 

Daniels has invested in improving his game, and the result has been the ability to lead one of the best offensive attacks in the country. The numbers are all in line with a familiar path that leads to being right in the mix for the Heisman. All Daniels needs now is to deliver a big moment on the big stage. And there is no bigger regular-season stage in college football than LSU and Alabama under the lights.