The Heisman Trophy says it is meant to be given to “the most outstanding player in college football.”
It’s an important distinction to keep in mind. Not the best player on a playoff team or the quarterback with the best touchdown-to-interception ratio. The most outstanding player in the entire country.
There are plenty of exceptional players in college football this season. Oregon‘s Bo Nix has been remarkably efficient, and his conference counterpart Michael Penix Jr. has put up remarkable volume. Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is one of the most talented wideouts we’ve ever seen.
One player has consistently been the most outstanding with the ball in his hands, however: LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The senior quarterback leads the country with a 94.2 QBR, and he’s earned a grade of 86.0 or higher in each of his last nine games. He averages 11.6 yards per pass attempt, the highest mark in the FBS, and leads the country with 30 passing touchdowns. The most explosive player in the country even averages 8.1 yards per carry on the ground.
Most plays of 20+ yards in 2023:
76 – Jayden Daniels (this guy is ridiculous)
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57 – Michael Penix
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55 – Caleb Williams— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 13, 2023
This weekend, he became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and rush for 200 yards in the same game over the weekend as he led the Tigers to a 52-35 victory over Florida.
The case for Daniels exists far beyond this weekend and his efficiency, however.
LSU currently sits first in the country in total offense with 560.2 yards per game and second in the country in scoring offense with 45.9 points per game. Nix and Penix have their offenses first and fifth in scoring, respectively, but what sets Daniels apart is how much of the work he does for his team.
Daniels leads the nation with 408.2 yards of total offense per game, more than 50 yards above Penix in second place. For those doing quick math at home right now, that means the LSU quarterback is responsible for 72.9% of the most prolific offense in the country. Even with their gaudy volume, Penix only creates 69.6% of Washington’s yards and Nix about 60.3% of Oregon’s.
Both Penix and Nix have other facets of the offense to rely upon. Washington running back Dillon Johnson has three 100-yard games this season, including a 256-yard performance against USC. Oregon running back Bucky Irving is 23rd in the FBS with 939 rushing yards this season. Daniels, on the other hand, leads his team with 918 rushing yards, almost 300 more than any Tigers running back.
Even when you factor in the receiving cores, which are exceptional for each of the quarterback finalists, things come up Daniels. Nix’s two leading receivers, Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson, have created 49.4% of their yards after the catch. Pro Football Focus credits star Huskies receivers Rome Odunze and Ja’Lynn Polk with 18 receptions on 26 contested targets, while LSU’s star wideouts Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. have come down with just 15 of their 29.
So why is Daniels not a shoo-in for the award?
Of the five Power 5 programs averaging 40 points per game or more, only LSU and USC have lost three or more games.
The Trojans, led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, have lost four of their past five games despite averaging 30.3 points per game in their losing efforts. It’s been a very public black eye for USC, culminating in the firing of defensive coordinator Alex Grinch after Week 10.
LSU’s losses have provided a similar feel. The Tigers have averaged 33.7 points per game in their three losses, but the case is even deeper than that.
In the season-opening loss to FSU, Daniels threw for 346 yards and scored 24 points despite coming up empty on three separate fourth-down attempts. No other quarterback has exceeded 305 passing yards against the Seminoles, and only two other quarterbacks have thrown for more than 250 yards.
The Tigers matched Alabama blow-for-blow early on before Daniels had a pass tipped in the air and intercepted. With the chance to lead his team on a road comeback, the senior quarterback instead had to leave the game in concussion protocol after a massive hit in the pocket. He still led both teams in passing and rushing yards despite not playing the final 12 minutes.
Daniels threw for 414 yards, ran for 99 more, and scored six total touchdowns in a 55-49 loss to Ole Miss earlier this season, too. In his three losses, ESPN has given him a QBR of 70.8, 94.1, and 97.6.
Don’t let the pedigree on the helmet fool you, it’s taken a superhuman effort to get LSU to 7-3. Daniels has needed to be the best player in the country, and for almost every game this season, he has been. He deserves to be taken just as seriously for the award as the playoff contenders.
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