NEW YORK — Jayden Daniels has reached immortality.
When Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in 2019, many thought no LSU player would ever replicate that season. Four years later, Daniels did, and Saturday night he joined Burrow and Billy Cannon as the third Heisman winner in LSU history.
“This is a dream come true,” Daniels said in his acceptance speech.
Joining the LSU football program at the height of its uncertainty, he’ll leave as one of the greatest players in its history. Doubted by many throughout his first season in the program and even early in his second, he’ll be remembered as arguably the most electric player the school has ever seen.
His Heisman run was unconventional.
It wasn’t the typical tale of the leader on the best team. Daniels proved throughout the season he was the country’s best player, but it wasn’t the fairytale season for LSU like Burrow’s Heisman run in 2019. Even for Daniels, there were roadblocks.
LSU started the season in the worst possible fashion, losing by three touchdowns to Florida State on national television. Daniels spoke to reporters after the game, and while there were few positives to take away from the game itself, Daniels’ leadership was encouraging.
“Everything falls on me,” he said in the postgame news conference. “Being the leader and the quarterback of the team, I gotta get the guys going.”
Daniels was hardly the issue against Florida State.
He threw for 346 yards and added 64 yards on the ground, but many fans remembered his untimely interception and the offense’s two turnovers on downs in the red zone rather than the 45 points the defense gave up.
His leadership and accountability was impressive, but over the next few weeks he had far more to offer than that.
Two weeks later, LSU traveled to Mississippi State for its conference opener, and Daniels starred. He threw for 361 yards and two touchdowns on 30 of 34 passing, officially announcing to America that he was more than just a good quarterback; he was elite.
A ranked matchup with Ole Miss came two weeks later, and Daniels looked untouchable. After shaking off a first-quarter fumble, he threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns and added 99 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
He hit Brian Thomas Jr. in the endzone on a 34-yard pass to go up 49-40 with eight minutes to go, and it looked like Daniels and LSU were about to transcend into the realm of the unbeatable.
But once again, this season was no fairytale.
Ole Miss came back to win the game 55-49, and, with two losses before the end of September, a Heisman campaign was an afterthought.
Then, to start November, LSU lost to Alabama and Daniels left the game in concussion protocol, officially eliminating LSU from Southeastern Conference Championship contention. It’s rare for a player to win the Heisman without being in contention for the playoff, much less his own conference championship.
But Daniels’ individual play never faltered, and coming out of concussion protocol, he had his Heisman moment.
He became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350 yards and rush for 200, willing LSU to a 52-35 win against Florida.
“If he didn’t win it tonight, he’s got to be a leading candidate,” Brian Kelly said after the game.
Over the course of just one game, Daniels went from an afterthought to the player to beat for the Heisman, and from there he never loosened his grasp. It culminated in a moment on the field that was etched into his Heisman suit.
After a touchdown pass to increase LSU’s second half lead to 10, Daniels returned to the sideline to do his signature handshake with backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.
Except this time, after exchanging high-fives, Daniels hit the iconic pose, capturing the moment where he might’ve won the award on the field.
Many argued that a player from a three-loss team couldn’t win, but the Heisman Trophy is given out to individuals, not teams. No one argued Daniels’ case harder than his head coach.
“He is the best player. You can say whatever you want, ‘well we’re 7-3 and whoever else is undefeated.’ That doesn’t mean anything. What matters is who’s the best player,” Kelly said.
He had his competition. Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Marvin Harrison Jr. all made a case at different points of the season to leapfrog Daniels, but he never stopped shining.
Everyone from his coach, to the fans, to his teammates argued his case at every opportunity, but it was his consistent magic on Saturdays that earned him the award.
His leadership was unmatched. His performances were incomparable. His team didn’t go undefeated, but every player, coach and fan understood his value.
“He’s the best player in college football in my eyes,” LSU football wide receiver Malik Nabers said.
“Jayden Daniels is our leader,” LSU running back Josh Williams said. “We always migrate towards him.”
Now Daniels stands alone. He is the best player in college football, and his legacy is forever cemented at LSU and in college football as the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner.
