[autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] will be making the trip to New York City next weekend for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, and it will likely be good news for the LSU quarterback.
He’s the heavy favorite to win the award after leading the nation in almost every quarterback-applicable statistic in 2023, and it would be a significant surprise if he doesn’t join [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] as the second LSU quarterback to win the Heisman since 2019.
CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd, who no longer has a Heisman vote, released who he would’ve voted for and how he would’ve structured his ballot. To no one’s surprise, Daniels leads the way.
Like everything else about his game, Daniels got here unexpectedly. When Oregon’s Bo Nix lost with the rest of the Ducks on Friday, that opened the door to an unusual Heisman winner. If it happens, Daniels will have won the sport’s top honor while laying on the couch. His actual activity during the Pac-12 Championship Game yet to be revealed, Daniels’ season had been over for a week Saturday when he (supposedly) clinched the Heisman.
A campaign that rivaled the great Joe Burrow included 50 total touchdowns (40 passing, tied with Nix for the national lead). Last month, he became the first player in history to throw for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in the same season. His 1,134 yards rushing this season were more than nine teams. Five times this year, he threw for at least four touchdowns in a game. The Arizona State transfer leads the country in yards per pass (11.7) and passer rating (208). Add it all up, and it’s one of the best seasons in history. Daniels would be the fourth player since 2007 to win the Heisman despite leading a three-loss team. He would also be the fifth SEC player to win it in over the last six seasons.
With Nix and Oregon’s struggles in the loss to Washington, it opened a door for Daniels, who quickly overpassed Nix to become the clear betting favorite to win the award.
Tigers fans will hope Dodd’s prediction eventually comes to pass.
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