# Jayden Daniels

Jayden Daniels (born December 18, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). Daniels played three seasons of college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils (2019–2021) and two with the LSU Tigers (2022–2023). Using a dual-threat playstyle, he won the 2023 Heisman Trophy and other college football player of the year awards after scoring 50 total touchdowns and leading in total yards.
Daniels was selected by the Commanders with the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. His rookie season is regarded among the greatest in NFL history, with him named Offensive Rookie of the Year after setting the rookie quarterback record for rushing yards in a season and leading the Commanders to their most wins in a season and first NFC Championship Game appearance since 1991. The season also saw Daniels win a game off a Hail Mary play known as the Hail Maryland.

## Early life

Daniels was born on December 18, 2000, in Fontana, California, and raised in nearby San Bernardino. He began playing flag football at the age of five and contact football by seven, briefly playing the cornerback position before moving to quarterback. He also ran track and played basketball and soccer as a youth before starting his freshman year at Cajon High School in 2015. Daniels, initially needing a medical note to play due to being considered undersized for the position at 125 pounds (57 kilograms), started on Cajon's varsity team as a freshman. He led the team to the CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) Inland Division playoffs that year before being eliminated in the semifinals.
In the first game of his 2016 sophomore season, Daniels broke the little finger of his right throwing hand attempting to recover a fumble but played the rest of the season. He set a state record in 2017 with over 6,400 total yards during his junior season, leading Cajon to a Citrus Belt League (CBL) championship and an appearance in the Division 2-AA state finals. He led Cajon to another CBL championship as a senior in 2018 and an appearance in the CIF-SS Division 3 championship. He was named the men's recipient of the Ken Hubbs Award, given annually the top high school athletes in the greater San Bernardino area, following the season.
He played 53 games at Cajon and set CIF-SS records with 210 touchdowns and over 17,600 total yards. Daniels also participated in hurdling and the 100-meters, 200-meters, 400-meters, and 4 × 100-meters relay sprints at the school. He participated in the 2018 Elite 11 quarterback skills competition, sitting out of the finals due to a practice injury, and passed for a game-winning touchdown in the 2019 Under Armour High School All-America Game. Daniels was ranked a four-star prospect and the top dual-threat quarterback of his class by college recruiting website 247Sports and received 25 college football scholarship offers before choosing the Sun Devils of Arizona State University (ASU) in December 2018. He graduated from Cajon and enrolled at ASU in January 2019.

## College career
### Arizona State (2019–2021)

Daniels was named the starter for the 2019 season after winning a quarterback competition against Joey Yellen in the offseason. He was the first Sun Devils freshman quarterback to start opening week. He suffered a minor knee injury against the UCLA Bruins and missed the following game. Daniels earned player of the week honors after passing for 408 yards and three touchdowns in an upset win against the Oregon Ducks. He was named the most valuable player of the 2019 Sun Bowl in a win over the Florida State Seminoles. Daniels set the Sun Devils' freshman total-yards record and was named a semifinalist for the Football Writers Association of America freshman of the year award.
In the 2020 season, Daniels and the Sun Devils played only four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He led the Pac-12 in completion percentage (65.4) the following season and the team to an appearance in the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl. After the season, several of the team's coaches were fired after an NCAA investigation into COVID-related recruiting violations. Daniels entered the transfer portal in February 2022. His mother Regina was later implicated in helping arrange unofficial visits for recruits by paying for flight tickets.

### LSU (2022–2023)

Daniels transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play for the Tigers in March 2022. He beat out Garrett Nussmeier and was named the starter for the 2022 season opener. He led the Tigers to an appearance in the 2022 SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Daniels, playing on a sprained ankle, left the game after being sacked by Jalen Carter late in the second quarter. He returned for the 2023 Citrus Bowl, catching a touchdown pass from wide receiver Malik Nabers in a 63–7 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. Daniels was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and voted the team's most valuable player after accounting for 28 touchdowns and nearly 3,800 total yards.
Daniels was named a team captain for the 2023 season. In a game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, he sustained a concussion from a hit by Dallas Turner. Daniels returned against the Florida Gators the following week, setting an SEC record with 606 total yards and becoming the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to have 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a single game. He tied another SEC record a week later against the Georgia State Panthers with eight touchdowns.
For the season, Daniels threw for 40 touchdowns and rushed for 10, led the NCAA with nearly 5,000 total yards, and set the FBS single-season passer rating record. His performance earned him the 2023 Heisman Trophy and other college football player of the year awards, making him the third LSU player to win the Heisman behind Billy Cannon in 1959 and Joe Burrow in 2019. Daniels sat out of the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl in January to prepare for the NFL draft. He played 55 career games in college, finishing top ten in FBS history with 16,000 total yards and the only with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards.

### Statistics

College statistics :
| Year | Team | Games | Games | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Total | Total |
| Year | Team | GP | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Yds | TD |
| 2019 | Arizona State | 12 | 8–4 | 205 | 338 | 60.7 | 2,943 | 8.7 | 17 | 2 | 149.2 | 125 | 355 | 2.8 | 3 | 3,298 | 20 |
| 2020 | Arizona State | 4 | 2–2 | 49 | 84 | 58.3 | 701 | 8.3 | 5 | 1 | 145.7 | 33 | 223 | 6.8 | 4 | 924 | 9 |
| 2021 | Arizona State | 13 | 8–5 | 197 | 301 | 65.4 | 2,380 | 7.9 | 10 | 10 | 136.2 | 138 | 710 | 5.1 | 6 | 3,090 | 16 |
| 2022 | LSU | 14 | 10–4 | 266 | 388 | 68.6 | 2,913 | 7.5 | 17 | 3 | 144.5 | 186 | 885 | 4.8 | 11 | 3,798 | 28 |
| 2023 | LSU | 12 | 9–3 | 236 | 327 | 72.2 | 3,812 | 11.7 | 40 | 4 | 208.0 | 135 | 1,134 | 8.4 | 10 | 4,946 | 50 |
| Career | Career | 55 | 37–18 | 953 | 1,438 | 66.3 | 12,749 | 8.9 | 89 | 20 | 158.4 | 617 | 3,307 | 5.4 | 34 | 16,056 | 123 |

## Professional career

Pre-draft measurables :
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span |
| 6 ft 3+5⁄8 in (1.92 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) |
| Values from LSU's Pro Day ||||

### Washington Commanders

Daniels was selected second overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft. He was the second of six quarterbacks (QB) taken in the first round, tying the 1983 draft for the most in NFL history. In the offseason, Daniels and former LSU teammate Malik Nabers received training from the league on its gambling policy for proposing a friendly $10,000 bet on who would be named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He acquired uniform number 5 in a deal with Tress Way, who had worn it with the team since 2014. Daniels signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $37.75 million fully guaranteed, on June 14, 2024. He was named the Commanders' starting quarterback by the end of training camp.
Daniels scored two touchdowns in his debut, with his first NFL win occurring the following week. In September, he set the NFL rookie completion percentage record (91.3%) against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football and was named Offensive Rookie of the Month after completing the highest percentage of passes (82.1%) over a four-game span in NFL history. Daniels suffered a rib cartilage injury on the opening drive against the Carolina Panthers in October, sitting out the remainder of the game. He returned the following week against the Chicago Bears, throwing a game-winning 52-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired to wide receiver Noah Brown on a play known as the Hail Maryland.
Daniels finished the regular season with the most rushing yards (891), highest points per game (28.5), and highest completion percentage (69%) by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He also had a rookie-record 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter or overtime during the season, with five of them occurring in the final 30 seconds or overtime being the most by any player since 1970. The Commanders finished with a regular season record of 12–5, their best since 1991, with Daniels selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games. Entering the playoffs as the sixth-seed, the Commanders had their first postseason win in nearly two decades in games over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions before being eliminated by the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. With 14 total wins on the season, Daniels tied Ben Roethlisberger for the most in a season by a starting rookie quarterback while having the most passing yards, passing touchdowns, and rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in the playoffs. His season is regarded among the greatest by a rookie in NFL history, with him named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and finishing seventh in NFL MVP voting.

### Statistics

Regular season statistics :
| Year | Team | Games | Games | Games | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Total | Total | Fumbles | Fumbles |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/G | Lng | TD | Int | Sck | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Yds | TD | Fum | Lost |
| 2024 | WAS | 17 | 17 | 12−5 | 331 | 480 | 69.0 | 3,568 | 209.9 | 86 | 25 | 9 | 47 | 100.1 | 148 | 891 | 6.0 | 52.4 | 46 | 6 | 4,459 | 31 | 5 | 0 |
| Career | Career | 17 | 17 | 12−5 | 331 | 480 | 69.0 | 3,568 | 209.9 | 86 | 25 | 9 | 47 | 100.1 | 148 | 891 | 6.0 | 52.4 | 46 | 6 | 4,459 | 31 | 5 | 0 |
Postseason statistics :
| Year | Team | Games | Games | Games | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Passing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Rushing | Total | Total | Fumbles | Fumbles |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/G | Lng | TD | Int | Sck | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Yds | TD | Fum | Lost |
| 2024 | WAS | 3 | 3 | 2−1 | 75 | 114 | 65.8 | 822 | 274.0 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 97.9 | 35 | 135 | 3.9 | 45.0 | 19 | 1 | 957 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | Career | 3 | 3 | 2−1 | 75 | 114 | 65.8 | 822 | 274.0 | 58 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 97.9 | 35 | 135 | 3.9 | 45.0 | 19 | 1 | 957 | 6 | 0 | 0 |

## Awards and highlights
### College

Awards
* Heisman Trophy (2023)
* Walter Camp Award (2023)
* AP College Football Player of the Year (2023)
* Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (2023)
* Davey O'Brien Award (2023)
* Manning Award (2023)
* Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2023)
* Consensus All-American (2023)
* SEC Male Athlete of the Year (2024)
* SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
* Best College Athlete, Men's Sports (2024 ESPYs)
* First-team All-SEC (2023)
* 2022 LSU Tigers MVP
* 2019 Sun Bowl MVP
* 7× SEC Offensive Player of the Week
* 2× Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week
Records
* FBS single-season passer rating record: 208.0 (2023)
* Only FBS player with 12,000 passing and 3,000 career rushing yards
* Only FBS player with 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game
* SEC single-game touchdowns: 8; tied with Joe Burrow (2023)
* SEC single-game total yards: 606 (2023)
* LSU career quarterback rushing yards: 2,019
* LSU single-season total yards: 4,946 (2023)
* LSU single-season quarterback rushing yards: 1,134 (2023)
* LSU single-season quarterback rushing touchdowns: 11 (2022)
* Arizona State freshman passing yards: 2,943 (2019)

### NFL

Awards
* Offensive Rookie of the Year (2024: AP • PWFA • Sporting News • Pepsi)
* Pro Bowl (2024)
* NFC Offensive Player of the Week (2024: Week 3)
* Offensive Rookie of the Month (September 2024)
* 11× Rookie of the Week (2024)
Rookie records
* Most wins in a season: 14; tied with Ben Roethlisberger
* Quarterback rushing yards in a season: 891
* Completion percentage in a season: 69%
* Postseason passing yards: 822
* Postseason passing touchdowns: 5
* Postseason rushing yards: 135
* Single-game completion percentage: 91.3%
* Commanders rookie total yards: 4,459
* Commanders rookie passing yards: 3,568

## Player profile

Daniels is considered a dual-threat quarterback for his vision and accuracy as a passer and his speed and ability to evade defenders as a runner, with his style of play compared to Lamar Jackson and Randall Cunningham. His calm demeanor and composure, particularly in late-game situations, are also regarded as strengths. Daniels' physique is described as "slender" and "lanky" at 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 metres) tall and weighing around 210 pounds (95 kilograms). He cited Kobe Bryant, Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Reggie Bush as inspirations growing up, choosing 5 as his uniform number after McNabb and Bush. Daniels uses virtual reality (VR) as part of his training, using software designed by German developer Cognilize that incorporates custom game plans and allows for speed adjustments and opposing players, teams, and their stadiums to be represented. He began the practice at LSU in 2023 and continued to use the technology in the NFL. Daniels warms up before games with a basketball; he learned the routine from childhood friend C. J. Stroud and cites it as helpful preparation as footballs feel smaller and lighter afterwards.

## Personal life

Daniels was born to Javon "Jay" Daniels, who played cornerback for college football's Washington Huskies and Iowa State Cyclones in the late 1990s, and Regina Jackson, who became an NFLPA-certified agent in 2024. He has an older sister named Bianca. In early 2021, Daniels' paternal grandparents died of COVID-19 within a month of each other. He is a Christian.
Daniels earned an undergraduate degree from Arizona State in December 2021 and pursued a Master of Liberal Arts degree at LSU. In college, he signed name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with Raising Cane's, Powerade, Beats by Dre, and Urban Outfitters. Daniels was featured on The Money Game: LSU, a six-part NIL-focused docuseries by Prime Video that followed him, Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, Livvy Dunne, and Alia Armstrong through LSU's 2023–24 sports season.
San Bernardino mayor Helen Tran declared January 20, 2024, "Jayden Daniels Day" and presented him with the key to the city; Cajon High School's football stadium was also renamed after Daniels. Daniels threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game in June 2024. The following month he, alongside Livvy Dunne and Lil Wayne, presented the Best Play Award to Lamar Jackson at the 2024 ESPYs.