The Driver's Seat: LSU QB Jayden Daniels Frontrunner to Win Heisman Trophy
LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is now in the driver's seat to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy after another dominant performance on Saturday night.
Daniels delivered a 500+ yard, eight touchdown performance in Week 12 as the staggering numbers continue taking America by storm.
On the year, the numbers are truly remarkable. He's up to 4,591 total yards and 46 total touchdowns as he navigates his way to the top of the Heisman odds.
Here's what the oddsmakers are saying:
DraftKings Sportsbook: -125
FanDuel Sportsbook: -125
Caesars Sportsbook: -125
It's been quite the campaign for Daniels and his head coach has bought in on his QB1.
Kelly once again spoke on his signal-caller's season during Monday's press conference and how deserving he is of the prestigious award:
“I truly think he’s the best player in the country,” Kelly said. “I’ve watched the other players too, and I think they’re terrific players too, but what he is doing is so different from what I’ve seen in my career in terms of pushing the ball down the field and dropping balls into tight coverages and running the football. I would say the assertiveness which he’s throwing the football – these aren’t screen passes. These aren’t swing passes. These aren’t cupcake throws. Not that anyone’s making cupcake throws.
I’m not saying that, but all of his throws are vertical throws and he’s pushing the ball down the field. His runs are making people miss and he’s taking hits. He doesn’t slide. He shows toughness. He’s a football player and he’s playing the game at a level I’ve never seen before.”
It's slowly become a two-man race between Daniels and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. The Ducks' QB1 has continued carving defenses on a routine basis in the PAC-12 on his way to the second best odds at +150.
Kelly detailed how the other candidates are worthy, but when it comes to Daniels, there are a few pieces to monitor.
“There are so many different things people look at when they have a ballot,” Kelly said, “They’re looking at strength of schedule, they’re looking at losses, consistency in performance, and if you examine it, there are so many different components, but there’s the eye test as well. When a guy takes over a game in a way [Daniels] has all year, that shifts it. All of the candidates are equal in playing a high level schedule.
“If you want to look at numbers, Jayden’s numbers are starting to pull away from [the pack]. If you want to look at numbers, this race is starting to distance itself.”
Now, as the final week of the regular season arrives, Daniels has the chance to further cement his chances of winning the Heisman Trophy when the LSU Tigers take on Texas A&M on Saturday at 11am CT in Death Valley.
