How Jayden Daniels stacks up in 2024 NFL Draft class

Going into a massive weekend of games, few loom larger than Alabama vs. LSU. For multiple reasons. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has put together a potential Heisman Trophy campaign, just needing a signature moment to stamp it with.

That could come against Alabama on Saturday.

“It’s a huge stage game,” said Jim Nagy, executive director of the Senior Bowl, on the Andy Staples On3 show. “If he can go into Tuscaloosa on Saturday, he can make a statement. He can basically cement himself a spot in New York if he plays a good game and they go in there and pull off the upset.”

Among the Senior Bowl eligible quarterbacks, few stand out as much as Daniels does at the moment. He’s been electric in every sense of the word.

Through the first eight games this season, Jayden Daniels has compiled 2,573 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He’s also run for 521 yards and five scores.

Nagy explained exactly where he ranks among potential Senior Bowl quarterbacks.

“He’s the one or two, for us he’s right up there with Bo Nix,” Nagy said. “Those guys came into the year as one, two. I felt like we did a lot of work on Bo last year. Both those guys were Senior Bowl eligible last year. We did a bunch of work on Bo. We moved him and Hendon Hooker from the fourth round up into Day 2.”

Jayden Daniels actually started off a little bit ahead of Nix in that regard.

The Senior Bowl staff had the LSU standout pegged a round earlier, but Daniels is playing his way into an even higher draft slot so far this year.

“Jayden Daniels this year started off in the third round for us, and I think both those guys are like in that second-round conversation,” Nagy said. “Jayden’s played great. I hope he gets an opportunity to go to New York and he’s in that Heisman talk, even though they’ve lost. Even though they’ve lost games if you look statistically, and that is a numbers-based award, he’s certainly played as well as anyone in the country.”

LSU and Alabama are set to kick off at 7:45 p.m. ET on CBS on Saturday in a game that could mold Jayden Daniels’ Heisman Trophy candidacy.