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Clear top landing spot emerges for Auburn transfer quarterback Ashton Daniels

The stars align well for Auburn quarterback Ashton Daniels to return to the West Coast after a promising stint as the Tigers' starter
Alex Weber|
Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels (12)
Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels (12) | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The College Football Playoff is just getting started but the CFB offseason is in full swing already. Players across the country are announcing their decisions to stay with current schools or enter the transfer portal, including many starting QBs, like Auburn's Ashton Daniels. He announced a plan to leave the Tigers this week and already has another power conference program as a rumored destination.

Daniels appeared in several games toward the end of Auburn's season and essentially took over as the offense's primary quarterback in November. Through just four performances as a senior, preserving his redshirt for a fifth year next season, Daniels tossed for just under 800 yards while rushing for 280 more. He tossed for 353 yards and scored four total touchdowns in a 45-38 OT loss at Vanderbilt, then added 259 passing yards, 100+ on the ground and added a TD in a one-possession loss to Alabama to end the regular season.

Following that pair of strong outings at the tail-end of the schedule, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported on Sunday that Daniels intends to transfer out of the program for his final season at the collegiate level in 2026. Shortly after that news came out, an early candidate jumped to the top of some people's minds...

That school would be Stanford. After all, Ashton Daniels did play three whole years at Stanford after committing to the Cardinal out of high school. Though he's an alum of Buford High School in Georgia, the West Coast was a long-term home for Daniels before his one-year stint at Auburn. Could he make a return to his old stomping ground? That could be a possibility.

Plus, there's the fact that the new Stanford head coach, Tavita Pritchard, has a history with Daniels. Pritchard arrives in Palo Alto after spending the last three years coaching quarterbacks for the Washington Commanders, but before taking on that role, Pritchard was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Stanford in 2022 — for a freshman Daniels. He is the position coach and OC which Daniels committed to and came in under at the college level.

Ashton Daniels did lead the 17-team ACC in interceptions when he last started for Stanford during their rough 3-9 2024 campaign. Although, a lone bright spot was the connection between the QB and future NFL wideout Elic Aymanor. But after a year in the plains, perhaps a return home to lead a Stanford program looking to finally take that massive rebuilding leap back to bowl eligibility could be a worthwhile challenge for the senior.

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Alex Weber
ALEX WEBER

Born and raised in the state of Kentucky, Alex Weber has published articles for many of the largest college sports media brands in the country, including On3, Athlon Sports, FanSided, SB Nation, and others. Since 2022, he has also contributed for Kentucky Sports Radio, one of the largest team-specific college sports websites in the nation. In addition to his work in sports journalism, Alex manages content for a local magazine named ‘Goshen Living’ and coaches cross country and track.

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