2023 LSU Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 5 Jayden Daniels

Jayden Daniels comes back for a fifth year to lead an LSU team with high expectations.

Going into the 2023 football season, LSU Wire will be looking at each player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Brian Kelly this season.

We’re taking a look at a guy whose success will largely determine LSU’s at-large. Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] was one of the more surprising players in the country last fall after transferring in from Arizona State, and he could be poised to be one of the nation’s top signal-callers as he returns for his fifth season as a starter.

Jayden Daniels Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: San Bernandino, California

Ht: 6-4

Wt: 205

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four Stars | No. 3 in California | No. 2 Dual-Threat Quarterback

Class in 2022: Senior

Career Stats

Year G Pct Yards Avg TD INT
2019 (Arizona State) 12 60.7 2,943 8.7 17 2
2020 (Arizona State) 4 58.3 701 8.3 5 1
2021 (Arizona State) 13 65.4 2,381 7.9 10 10
2022 14 68.6 2,913 7.5 17 3

Depth Chart Overview

A top-40 overall prospect coming out of high school, Daniels became an immediate starter as a true freshman at Arizona State. His first two seasons were promising, but he struggled quite a bit in 2021, opting to enter the transfer portal.

He landed at LSU, where he beat out [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag] and [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job. He ultimately had his most productive season since his true freshman year last fall. In addition to his passing numbers, he totaled 885 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground.

Daniels comes into 2023 as the clear-cut starter, though Nussmeier will likely see some action, as well. Expectations are high for Daniels, who is widely seen as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the SEC and even as a possible Heisman contender.

Jayden Daniels’ Photo Gallery