Jayden Daniels: Why Transfer Now? Exploring Potential Reasons

On Thursday, the Arizona State Sun Devils saw three-year starting quarterback Jayden Daniels enter the transfer portal.

Daniels, who arrived at ASU in 2019 as a true freshman, took over the Sun Devils offense immediately and displayed promise for a future that could very well hold Pac-12 title hopes thanks to his ability as a runner and a dynamic arm that could hit big plays down the field.

In 2020, Daniels and Arizona State played only four games thanks to a season shortened by COVID.

The 2021 season was when many expected Daniels to make the leap into the next stage of his development, yet ASU fans saw anything but that. Daniels turned the ball over far too often and struggled to consistently find open receivers.

There was talk about Daniels potentially departing Arizona State following a loss in the Las Vegas Bowl, yet on Dec. 2, Daniels released a video announcing his return to the Sun Devils for another season under center.

Weeks later, Sun Devils head coach Herm Edwards spoke about his confidence in Daniels, and even shared a laugh about him going anywhere else.

“It’s kind of funny that he’s going to return — he was never leaving,” Edwards said. “So I don’t know why all of this became a story. We sat in our office and laughed.

“We wanted him to come back, and that helps when you have a quarterback of his stature. And I think when he looks at his season this year, obviously, he wants to do some things a little bit better and we have to help him do that.

"I like his attitude. I like his mindset right now. It’s always good when you have a veteran quarterback coming back. That’s always a good feeling for the coach.”

Now, Edwards probably isn't laughing in his office.

The Sun Devils reportedly passed up on transfer portal quarterback Spencer Rattler, the top quarterback prospect in his class and a native of Arizona, in favor of Daniels.

The suddenly open competition at quarterback appears to be a battle between Daniels' second option in Trenton Bourgeut and Alabama transfer quarterback Paul Tyson, who was behind quarterback Bryce Young at Tuscaloosa. Finn Collins and Bennett Meredith are also options for ASU.

The question of who Arizona State’s starting quarterback will be for the season opener will be answered in due time.

For now, fans are asking Daniels: Why wait until now to transfer?

Daniels has not spoken to anybody about his decision, and speculation will run rampant until reasons are officially drawn from him.

However, there are a few logical reasons as to why Daniels may have pulled the trigger now.

Potential Reasons for Jayden Daniels Waiting to Transfer

A new offensive coordinator

Daniels worked with former offensive coordinator Zak Hill his last two seasons at Arizona State. Hill, who was rumored to potentially make a lateral move at Auburn, eventually departed the program by resigning due to his involvement in the ongoing NCAA investigation at ASU.

With the Sun Devils bringing in new offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas, perhaps Daniels didn't want to wager his draft stock on one season. Between the new face in Thomas and whispers of issues with Hill, Daniels may not have been happy with any of the two play-callers.

Learning a new offense at Arizona State likely takes a backseat to learning a new offense in a place where he has a fresh start. Perhaps Daniels was willing to give one more season with Hill, and found it hard to want to spend another season at Arizona State with a new offensive coordinator.

The market has cooled down

There was a point in the offseason where the transfer portal boasted talented quarterbacks such as Spencer Rattler, Caleb Williams, Jaxson Dart, Kedon Slovis, Bo Nix, JT Daniels and others.

Simply put, Daniels would not have been one of the most valued targets in a transfer portal class saturated with talent. Perhaps Daniels wanted to let the quarterback market cool down and get more realistic options before the start of spring practice.

Competition

No starting quarterback wants to feel as if they're in a competition for their job, especially not a passer such as Daniels who has comfortably held that position for three seasons.

With the arrival of Alabama's Paul Tyson, Daniels was still expected to be the starter heading into 2022. However, there's no denying the presence of Tyson would have further pushed questions of Daniels when a mistake was made.

Competition brings out the best in everybody, and just maybe, Daniels wasn't a fan of the Sun Devils bringing in outside help.

NCAA Investigation

Ah, the dark cloud that seems to never really go away.

Arizona State has been under investigation since June of 2021, and there appears to be no end in sight.

The Sun Devils have seen a plethora of talented players depart via the transfer portal, on top of the five coaches that are now gone from the program thanks to their involvement in the recruiting allegations.

Was Daniels insistent on staying in a place that could very well have the hammer dropped on them?

Perhaps Daniels has some insight into the investigation?

Here's what a source close to Daniels told All Sun Devils:

"(Daniels) is not happy with how he’s being utilized to improve his draft grade."

We won't know for sure the clear reasons why Daniels opted to transfer out until we hear it from the man himself (and see where he ends up), yet the reasons stated above may be good indicators as to why Daniels chose now to depart Arizona State.