There’s no missing the name, Jayden Daniels. He is the quarterback who is all over the headlines. Daniels was drafted second overall by the Washington Commanders in 2024 and has already made his way to the Offensive Rookie of the Year title. With him, Washington even made it to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991. But before the Commanders and the chaos, Daniels had a college journey that made him the player he is today.
Jayden Daniels’ College Career: From Arizona State to LSU Stardom
Jayden Daniels was just a California kid with a cannon arm and wheels that could dust defenders. He came out of Cajon High School as a four-star recruit, clocking in as the No. 2 dual-threat QB in the 2019 class. Daniels rewrote the CIF-Southern Section record books with 14,007 passing yards and 170 touchdowns. If that wasn’t enough, add to that 3,645 rushing yards and 41 rushing scores.
Jayden Daniels is incredible 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lVsKn90aJR
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) May 30, 2025
With that kind of a resume, colleges, of course, came calling. There was UCLA, Utah, and a slew of others. But Daniels went with Arizona State. As a freshman, he threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also led the Sun Devils to a Sun Bowl win over Florida State. But then came 2020 and COVID, which broke his momentum.
The 2021 season had some good moments, but there was evident struggle. That was the moment Jayden Daniels realized he needed a new chapter. He transferred to Baton Rouge in 2022. At LSU, he ran 885 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2022 alone. That season, he accounted for six total TDs in a single game, which was a Tigers record. He brought the Tigers a Cheez-It Citrus Bowl win, but he wasn’t done yet.
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2023 was the year of Jayden Daniels. He passed 3,812 yards and had 40 touchdowns. And he did all that while rushing for 1,134 yards and 10 more scores. The defenders looked lost every time Daniels stepped on. By the end of it, he won the Heisman Trophy, swept nearly every major player of the year award, and walked away as the SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
In totality, Daniels ended his college career with over 12,700 passing yards, 617 rushing attempts, and 89 passing touchdowns. Across his time at Arizona State and LSU, he went 38-20 as a starter.
With the Washington Commanders, he continues to play his best game. The question is no longer where Daniels went to college. It is how he made it look so easy. Jayden Daniels is history in the making, and the Commanders know it all too well.
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