Jayden Daniels is a rising star in football, having an impressive rookie season with the Washington Commanders after winning the Heisman Trophy last year at LSU. However, his journey hasn’t always been easy.
This week, as part of a unique twist to his rookie year, the Commanders are practicing on the Arizona State campus in preparation for a game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.
Daniels played his first three college seasons with the Sun Devils, experiencing both challenges and successes before transferring to LSU.
His time in Arizona wasn’t perfect, but he values it highly.
“It was a start for me,” Daniels said. “It started all of this and built a foundation. The people that recruited me here, I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me and my football career … still cherish it to this day.”
Since leaving Arizona State, Daniels has thrived at LSU and now with the Commanders. He showed his potential as an NFL star after completing 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 win at Cincinnati on Monday night. He also ran for 39 yards and a touchdown in his third NFL game.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, who understands the challenges of being a dual-threat quarterback, watched the game and was impressed. “He did his thing,” Murray said.
Daniels had a standout freshman year at Arizona State in 2019 under coach Herm Edwards, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
The Sun Devils achieved a notable victory against Michigan State on the road, and he threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns in a home win over Oregon, a top-ranked team at the time.
