LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is a Heisman winner.
The senior quarterback won the award over Oregon QB Bo Nix and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. coming off a tremendous dual-threat season. Daniels was one of the nation’s leading passers by almost all major metrics and also one of only two quarterbacks to rush for more than 1,000 yards through 2023.
Daniels finished with 503 first place votes while Penix finished with 292 first place votes. The overall margin among quarterbacks, 2,029 points to 1,701 points, was the closest Heisman vote since 2018.
After beginning his speech by acknowledging the presence of the other three finalists, Daniels said: “The competition never ends. I look forward to seeing you guys on Sunday.”
Daniels finished the regular season with 236 of 327 for 3,812 yards and 40 TDs. He made just four interceptions and completed over 70% of his passes. Only six players — including the Knicks at 77.2% — completed a higher percentage of their passes.
But Daniels easily beat everyone in yards per attempt. He was by far the nation’s leader in that category as LSU’s offense averaged 11.7 yards each time it threw the football. Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, the player who ranks second in yards per attempt, averaged 1.3 fewer yards per punt.
Daniels also tied for the lead in passing touchdowns with the Knicks despite playing one fewer game. Nix played in 13 games in 2023 as Oregon State went to the Pac-12 title game. But Penix and the Huskies beat the Ducks to reach the College Football Playoff. It was a game that likely sealed Daniels’ status as a Heisman winner as Nix fell below the all-time single-season record for completion percentage (77.4% for Mac Jones in 2020).
In addition to being a threat for LSU receivers Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas to break up a big play from almost anywhere on the field through the air, he was also a big play waiting to happen on the ground.
Daniels rushed 135 times for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns over 12 games. He averaged the most yards per carry of any eligible player in college football at 8.4 and was more than a full yard ahead of Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright for second place.
That’s a great total rushing and rushing average for a quarterback who dropped back to pass the ball like Daniels did. College football statistics count sacks against a quarterback’s rushing totals and Daniels was sacked 22 times. For example, Penix has rushed for just under 18 yards this season.
Daniels had five games with at least one run longer than 40 yards and his breakout performance came in a 52-35 win over Florida on November 11. Daniels was 17 of 26 passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns through the air while rushing. 12 times for 234 yards and two scores. Daniels broke touchdown runs of 85 yards and 51 yards during that game and then threw three touchdowns in the final 18 minutes as the Tigers pulled away from the Gators.
This was the first time in high-level college football history that a player threw for over 350 yards and rushed for over 200 yards in the same game.
It also powered the Tigers’ comeback win at No. 9 Missouri on Oct. 7. After leaving the game briefly early in the fourth quarter after a crushing hit on the goal line, Daniels returned to engineer two go-ahead touchdown runs on LSU’s ensuing touchdown. Two possessions.
He broke off a 35-yard TD run on third down to give the Tigers a 35-32 lead over Mizzou with under eight minutes to go, then accounted for all 75 yards on LSU’s ensuing drive as the Tigers went up for good by under. Three minutes to go.
That drive also included a brutal third-place run. Daniel broke a 31-yard run on third down to get to the Missouri 29-yard line and a play later hit Nabers for a 29-yard score that put LSU up 42-39.
Heisman winner with three losses
Players on teams with more than two losses don’t win the Heisman Trophy very often. Especially in recent seasons. But Daniels won despite LSU’s 9-3 record. Last year, USC was 11-2 when Caleb Williams hoisted the award. The year before that, Alabama was 12-1 when Bryce Young won and undefeated when DeVonta Smith won in 2020.
In fact, Williams became the second player to win the Heisman during the playoffs as part of a team that wasn’t in the four-team playoff. With Daniels joining that group, he is the first player since Lamar Jackson in 2016 to be part of a team with three losses before the Heisman ceremony.
Like Daniels, Jackson was a dynamic passer and pass rusher whose performances all season were too good to ignore. Jackson threw for over 3,500 yards and rushed for nearly 1,600 yards that season as he accounted for 51 touchdowns.
Overall, Daniels is the 15th player on a team with three or more losses to win the Heisman and the fourth in the 2000s along with Jackson, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III in 2011 and Florida’s Tim Tebow in 2007.
Heisman transfer trend
Daniels is also the fifth player in the past seven seasons to win the Heisman Trophy at his second school, a sign of the normalization of player transfers. Nix and Penix are also transferring for their second seasons at their new schools. Nix transferred to Oregon from Auburn while Penix transferred to Washington from Indiana.
Williams won in his first season at USC after transferring from Oklahoma, while LSU QB Joe Burrow won in his first season at LSU in 2019 after joining the Tigers from Ohio State. Before Burrow, Kyler Murray won in his second season at Oklahoma after transferring from Texas A&M, and Baker Mayfield was in his third season at Oklahoma after starting his college career at Texas Tech.
Daniels came to LSU before the 2022 season after the school hired Brian Kelly from Notre Dame. Daniels spent the first three seasons of his career at Arizona State and appeared in all but one game for the Sun Devils in that span.
He transferred from Arizona State after throwing for 2,381 yards and rushing for 710 yards in 2021 but accounted for just 16 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
He instantly became a star and improved on those numbers at LSU in 2022 as the Tigers won the SEC West. Daniels completed 69% of his passes in 2021 and threw for 2,913 yards while rushing for 885 yards. He entered the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy, based on his jump from 2021 to 2022, but hardly anyone could have predicted that. -The statistics he has accumulated.
In a stunning upset, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has been named the recipient of the 2023 Heisman Trophy, solidifying his place as one of college football’s most outstanding players. The dynamic athlete’s leadership, poise, and exceptional performance on the field have propelled him to this prestigious accolade, making him a standout talent in the world of collegiate athletics. Daniels’ remarkable achievements and undeniable skill have not only elevated his own profile but also brought immense pride and triumph to the LSU football program. This momentous honor marks a monumental milestone in Daniels’ career and solidifies his place in college football history.