Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] has remade his career in Baton Rouge.
A three-year starter at Arizona State, Daniels’ career in Tempe started off on a high note but soured during his final season in 2021. When he arrived at LSU as a transfer last offseason, we didn’t know which version of Daniels we’d see.
Though it wasn’t always pretty, Daniels turned in a strong first campaign as LSU’s signal-caller in 2022. He was really coming on by the end of the season before injuries limited him down the stretch, and he enters 2023 expected to be one of the best passers in the SEC.
However, he could also find himself on NFL teams’ radars a year from now. Pro Football Focus ranked the top-10 draft-eligible quarterbacks in 2024, and Daniels came in at ninth.
Like Nix and Penix, a new environment revived Daniels’ career. The Arizona State transfer led all quarterbacks in the country this past season with a 0.6% turnover-worthy play rate. The junior was also the only quarterback who rushed for more than 1,000 yards. Overall, only Maye and Williams were more valuable Power Five quarterbacks than the LSU signal-caller in 2022. The issue is Daniels won’t take too many shots downfield. His 8.2-yard average depth of target stood just 118th among FBS quarterbacks in 2022.
Developing a downfield passing game will certainly be an area in which LSU looks to improve this season. With Daniels back as well as one of the SEC’s top receivers in [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag], that is certainly a possibility.
It may take a big year for Daniels to get Day 1 or early Day 2 hype in the 2024 draft. But heading into his final season with a team that looks to have a championship ceiling, it’s certainly within the realm of possibility.
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