Auburn Football an Early Frontrunner for Stanford QB in Transfer Portal

Could Daniels finish his college career in the SEC?

Nov 29, 2024; San Jose, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels (14) throws against the San Jose State Spartans in the second quarter at CEFCU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images / Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The transfer portal is officially opened and with many players already putting their names in, things can start to come together now in terms of finding the next program to play out the rest of their eligibility. A handful of Stanford players have announced their intentions to move on from the program, and one of the biggest names in Ashton Daniels could already be on the radar for a big time SEC powerhouse in Auburn.

The Tigers, who finished 5-7 and failed to qualify for a bowl game in their second season under head coach Hugh Freeze, are expected to be heavily in the market for a quarterback, with 2024 starter Payton Thorne out of eligibility and other quarterbacks Hank Brown and Holden Geriner both entering the portal as well. The Tigers have four-star true freshman Deuce Knight arriving in time for the season, but with the lack of veteran experience at the position, they will most likely need to turn to the portal to find their next starter.

Linked to names such as Miller Moss of USC, Jackson Arnold of Oklahoma and Kaidon Salter of Liberty, Daniels has emerged as a strong favorite to land at Auburn, with On3’s Steve Wiltfong reporting that Freeze and Daniels are showing mutual interest. Sitting down for an interview with Wiltfong, Daniels said that while he has talked to a plethora of other schools, Auburn is the one he is most intrigued by and plans to visit the school once he returns from the winter break.

Originally from Buford, Georgia and playing his prep career at Buford High School, Daniels playing for Auburn would put him closer to home while allowing him the chance to play for arguably the highest level conference in all of college football. Playing in 10 games as a freshman at Stanford, Daniels emerged as the full-time starter as a sophomore in 2023, throwing 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 10 starts.

In 2024, he threw 10 touchdowns and went for 1,700 yards while leading the Cardinal in rushing with 669 yards, emerging as the ultimate dual-threat quarterback. However, he struggled with turnovers, throwing 12 interceptions and according to Pro Football Focus, he threw 16 interception worthy passes. 

But while he saw struggles, some can attribute those to the struggles experienced by Stanford’s offensive line. In 330 dropbacks, Daniels saw pressure on 125 of them. In fact, Stanford’s pass blocking grade came out to an average of about 62 on PFF, which is far below the average.

With one more year of eligibility left, Daniels will look to find the right fit and experience a new change of scenery in the hopes of not only revitalizing his career, but showing the world that he deserves to be looked at as a top starting quarterback in the NCAA.