Daniels Explains Transfer to LSU: Why He Left Arizona State

The former Sun Devils quarterback spoke to reporters and opened up about his transfer portal decision.

Author:
Donnie Druin
Publish date:
Apr 16, 2022 11:35 AM EDT

Oh, what could have been.

Former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels once dazzled the crowd at Sun Devil Stadium with eye-opening throws and the ability to make defenders look silly in the open field on his way to moving the chains with his legs.

Now, Daniels is getting settled in his own digs at LSU, where he opted to transfer after playing three seasons at Arizona State.

There's no hiding the regression Daniels saw in his last two years after a phenomenal freshman campaign that had many believing he would be a future first-round pick at the next level.

Not many who support ASU believe that Daniels can return to the peak he displayed in 2019.

Daniels does, however, and that played a big factor in why he decided to join the Tigers.

This week at LSU's spring practice, Daniels spoke with reporters and opened up on the process that eventually saw him leave Arizona State for new beginnings.

“My decision to enter the transfer portal was probably the best decision for me and my future career for the goals I want to accomplish,” Daniels said via LSU Country's Zack Nagy.

“Those conversations with Coach (Brian) Kelly; I showed interest in them and they showed interest back. (I) just had the opportunity to come play at the highest level.”

There's no debating LSU's caliber of football is greater than Arizona State, yet Daniels chose those interesting comments nonetheless. He expanded on his reasoning for landing at LSU.

He said, “I always enjoyed my time at Arizona State, love Coach Herm (Edwards) and those guys over there, but just for my career, my future, I decided to go somewhere else just so I can reach into that untapped potential. I get to showcase my talent on a national stage. Coming here and competing at the highest level with all these weapons here, all these resources, it’s very intriguing for me.

“At the end of the day, I didn’t want anything handed to me, and I felt like it was the best spot for me.”

Daniels did cycle through two offensive coordinators in his three years at Arizona State, with his sophomore campaign only lasting four games because of COVID.

There's arguments to be made that Daniels didn't get to flash his overall prowess as an athlete in an offense that asked him to hand the ball off and not force turnovers (the latter was the problem last season) while trusting his defense.

The proof is in the pudding, however, and that recipe will unfold this fall when Daniels (if he wins the starting job) is tasked with facing the daunting defenses the SEC provides on a weekly basis.

“Help a powerhouse win another national championship so I could showcase my skills was probably the most intriguing thing for me,” Daniels added on why he chose LSU. “Coach Kelly is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history. He knows how to win. He knows how to get his teams to where they need to be. So, I wanted to be a part of it.”

For now, Daniels is happy with where he's at, and shows no signs of regret after departing Arizona State.

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