LSU senior quarterback Jayden Daniels was named college football’s most outstanding player, capping up a spectacular season in which he led the nation’s best offense.
Daniels is LSU’s third Heisman Trophy winner, after quarterback Joe Burrow in 2019 and halfback Billy Cannon in 1959. With his accomplishment, he becomes the 20th quarterback to win the honor this century.
Daniels became the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy since 2016, and the sixth quarterback in the last seven seasons to do it after moving schools, with 2,029 total points and 503 first-place votes.
Furthermore, the star quarterback won four of the six voting zones and appeared on 90.46% of all ballots cast.
His most recent honor adds to the plethora of accolades he has garnered this season. According to USA Today, he was selected the Walter Camp Player of the Year and the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year. He also got the Davey O’Brien Award, which is given to the finest quarterback in the country.
Daniels, who is nearly 23 years old, has already equaled Bo Nix for the most touchdown passes (41) and leads the country in overall offense, passing efficiency, points responsible for, and running yards per carry.
Daniels said in his acceptance speech, “So what did I learn from all this? I learned how to block out the noise, that you can overcome any obstacle, and just be humble, be legendary and most importantly, you know be joyful about what you do. And when you get knocked down, get back up, keep smiling and never give up on your dreams.”
Daniels graduated as a four-star prospect from Cajon High School in San Bernardino, California, after passing 170 touchdowns and rushing for 41. He began his college career at Arizona State in 2019. After enrolling early at Herman Edwards’ school, the great athlete arrived in Tempe.
His stature of 6-foot-4 and 175 pounds raised doubts about his physical abilities to play college football. Despite the odds, he became Arizona State’s first freshman quarterback to start a season opener.
In a bid to encourage others, Daniels said, “Being a college athlete and winning this award has been a dream come true. I want to dedicate this award to every boy and girl who has a dream or faith, with hard work you never know what’s possible. They said I was too skinny, so I had to wait. Then they said I relied on my legs a little bit too much, so I went to work, completed all those passes, had the season I had. They said I was too quiet, so I became more vocal. I stepped out of my comfort zone and now I’m here today.”
The San Bernadino native, who is in his second year at LSU, led the Tigers to a 10-4 record after transferring from Arizona State in 2022, according to the NFL. He threw for 2,913 yards and 29 touchdowns in total.
“This is a dream come true,” Daniels said. “I want to first give thanks to God for all the glory. He’s my rock. He’s my savior. He blessed me with the talents and ability to get here. All the special people here to develop these skills. To Bo, Mike and Marvin, you guys are amazing. I enjoy watching y’all, but the competition is never over. I look forward to seeing you guys on Sundays.”