LSU's first spring practice under coach Brian Kelly begins March 23, and it will have another new face entering the quarterback battle when it gets underway. Former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels has opted to transfer to LSU and enter the fray.
LSU announced the addition of Daniels with a statement.
"Jayden is an outstanding player who will make our quarterback room even stronger," said Kelly in a release. "He's a playmaker with a strong arm and the ability to make plays with his feet. We are excited to welcome Jayden to our program as we continue to build a roster of student-athletes who will compete for championships on the field and work just as hard in the classroom to earn their degree."
Daniels started 29 games for Arizona State over the last three seasons but is coming off a disappointing 2021 campaign. During his freshman season in 2019, he threw for 2,943 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions. In 2021, he finished with 2,381 yards but only had 10 touchdowns to go with 10 picks. While his completion rate was the highest of his career at 65.4%, his yards per attempt of 7.9 was the lowest. Of course, while his passing numbers suffered, Daniels was a much stronger force with his legs, rushing for 710 yards and six touchdowns.
Arizona State went 8-5 in 2021 amid an NCAA investigation into the school's recruiting practices during the COVID-19 shutdown. That controversy has led to a lot of turnover among the Arizona State coaching staff and roster, which undoubtedly impacted the team's overall performance.
Clearly, Kelly is willing to bet on the talent Daniels showed as a recruit out of high school and during his first two seasons as a Sun Devil. Daniels was a four-star recruit out of San Bernardino, California, ranked as the No. 2 dual-threat QB in the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
He's now part of a crowded QB battle in Baton Rouge.
Earlier this offseason, Myles Brennan entered the transfer portal only to change his mind and return to LSU. The Tigers also have redshirt freshman Garrett Nussmeier and prized freshman Walker Howard, who committed to the Tigers in the 2022 class and enrolled in school this January. All four will partake in spring practice in what should be one of the most interesting position battles in the SEC.
Daniels has two years of eligibility remaining due to the NCAA's decision not to count the 2020 season against any player's eligibility.
