LSU added a lot of players in the transfer portal this offseason, which was a need given the roster turnover following the 2021 season. Many of those players are seeing starting reps, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue any of them has been more impactful than [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag].
The Arizona State transfer came in with three years of starting Power Five experience, but things fell off in his final season with the Sun Devils. At LSU, he found a bit of a learning curve as he grew within the offense.
But at the midway point of the season, he’s playing at a very high level. He’s on the rise in On3’s transfer power rankings following his five-touchdown performance in the win over Ole Miss, now ranking No. 10.
Here’s how On3’s Mike Huguenin explained his rise.
+ LSU QB Jayden Daniels: After a somewhat inconsistent start to the season, Daniels has put up big numbers two weeks in a row. He threw for 248 yards and two TDs and rushed for 121 and three more scores as LSU pounded previously unbeaten Ole Miss 45-20. That’s 369 yards of offense and five TDs. The week before, he accounted for 393 yards and six TDs in a 45-35 win over Florida. He has had six games this season with at least 300 yards of total offense and now has rushed for nine touchdowns in eight games. In his three seasons at Arizona State, he had 13 total rushing TDs and accounted for 300 yards of offense nine times.
Daniels is on his way to his best season as a college football player. His 69.9% completion percentage is the best of his career, and he has 12 touchdowns to one interception. On the ground, he’s already passed the 500-yard mark and has set a career-high with nine rushing touchdowns.
He has really hit his stride in recent games and has 11 combined touchdowns in his last two outings. He has one more year of eligibility after this one, and despite some questioning Daniels’ aptitude earlier in the year, he’s clearly the guy moving forward, both this year and next.
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