LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was named the winner of the 2023 Heisman Trophy on Saturday.
Daniels became the third SEC quarterback to win the trophy in the past five years, and he is the third player from LSU to win the award.
Daniels received 503 first-place votes and 2,029 total points from the ballots. He beat out Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who finished second with 292 first-place votes and 1,701 points. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finished third and fourth, respectively. The other players who received notable votes can be found here.
The senior took the time to thank a litany of teammates, coaches, and others while he accepted the award at the podium, including the LSU training, groundskeeping, and support staff, but he singled out his high school coach Nick Rogers early on.
“Thank you for believing in a 14-year-old freshman to start on varsity,” Daniels said. “I probably weighed 140 pounds.”
The Tigers quarterback had the nation’s highest QBR at 95.7 and led the country with 412.2 total yards of offense per game this season. His 11.7 yards per pass attempt and 8.4 yards per rushing attempt were each the highest respective marks in the FBS, and he became the second quarterback to throw for 40 touchdowns, run for 1,000 yards, and score 10 touchdowns on the ground in a single season.
Daniels finished with a completion percentage of 72.2%, 3,812 passing yards, 1,134 rushing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 10 rushing touchdowns, and four interceptions for the season. He found the end zone at least three times in each of his final 11 games, including five total scores against both Ole Miss and Florida and a staggering eight against Georgia State.
Five SEC quarterbacks have been responsible for 50 touchdowns in a single season, including Daniels (Bryce Young, Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, and Tim Tebow). All five won the Heisman.