Jayden Daniels is one of the most hyped players in the country heading into the 2023 season. He has the second-best odds to win the Heisman, behind only USC’s Caleb Williams, and is at the top of many SEC quarterback rankings.
Whether or not the Heisman hype is deserved remains to be seen, but he might have already established himself as the best LSU quarterback not named Joe Burrow with his 2022 season.
LSU is not known for having great quarterback play. For a large chunk of the team’s history, simply not throwing interceptions and handing the ball off to your star running back while completing a handful of passes each game would put you in the conversation as LSU’s best quarterback in years.
Then, of course, Burrow’s 2019 season happened and the standard for an LSU quarterback was changed forever. The LSU record book for passing is just a list of Burrow’s stats and accomplishments.
Daniels is likely a long way away from passing any of those records and expecting a Burrow-type leap from year one to year two is ridiculous, but he doesn’t need one to be one of LSU’s best quarterbacks ever.
Daniels’ 2,913 passing yards is the fifth most in a single season in school history. If you factor in his rushing yards, Daniels accounted for the second most yardage in LSU’s history. His 3,798 yards are over 400 more than the second closest season (Rohan Davey’s 2001 season saw him accumulate 3,351 yards).
He currently has the LSU career record for completion percentage. Daniels completed 68.6% of his passes, the third best single season mark in school history. If you look at career completion percentage numbers instead of single season, Daniels edges out Burrow’s career record of 68.5%. Of course, Burrow had two seasons compared to Daniels’ one.
Daniels had 28 total touchdowns last season. That’s good for the fourth most in LSU history and only one behind the non-Burrow record of 29 set by Matt Mauck in 2003. Daniels is also the only LSU player not named Burrow to have six touchdowns in one game (Burrow has five games with over six touchdowns, including the CFP semifinal and National championship games. Every Burrow stat is absurd).
That game came against one of LSU’s biggest rivals, Florida. Daniels is also one of only 10 players in school history to have a five-touchdown game. Those five touchdowns came in LSU’s upset of No. 7 Ole Miss.
Daniels put up that production all while throwing just three interceptions the entire season. Daniels was also LSU’s leading rusher during the 2022 season and set the single season record for most rushing yards by an LSU quarterback.
He also led LSU to an SEC West title, ten wins and a bowl victory. There aren’t many single seasons by quarterbacks in LSU’s history that can match up with Daniels’ 2022 season.
Mauk led the 2003 Tigers to a national championship and had one more touchdown, but he had over 1,000 fewer yards and 11 more interceptions. He also had the No. 1 defense in the nation in points per game and a 1,000-yard rusher in his backfield to help him.
Matt Flynn also led LSU to a national championship in 2007, but he had 1,000 fewer yards, three fewer touchdowns, eight more interceptions and a completion percentage that was over 10 points lower.
Jamarcus Russell’s 2006 season saw him have one more touchdown than Daniels and a slightly better completion percentage with a Sugar Bowl victory. Russell had five more interceptions and had over 800 fewer yards than Daniels. He also had the fourth best defense in the country compared to Daniels who had the 34th best defense in country. He also did not make the SEC championship despite leading LSU to the Sugar Bowl.
Finally, Burrow had 496 fewer yards, five fewer touchdowns, a completion percentage over 10 points lower and two more interceptions in his first season at LSU.
Daniels’ 2022 season stands toe-to-toe with any other season in LSU’s modern history. If he improves in his second season, he is almost guaranteed to be LSU’s second-best quarterback ever. LSU fans might not realize it, but Daniels is already an LSU legend.