Jayden Daniels assesses where he needs to improve ahead of fall
LSU had a busy offseason in the transfer portal after first-year head coach Brian Kelly looked to rebuild the roster. Among the most surprising additions, the Tigers added former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels to the roster to compete for the starting job.
During his first media availability, Jayden Daniels discussed where he needs to improve over the offseason to help him secure the starting quarterback position heading into the fall.
“Footwork,” said Daniels, quickly identifying one area. “Really just building the chemistry with the guys. I came pretty late here, right before spring ball. For me personally, just that leadership role, footwork and going through progressions.
“Things like that, just the things that coach Denmark and them had at Cincinnati. Coach Kelly is an offensive-minded head coach. Just being able to go out there and talk to them about offense, about football, that’s probably one of the best things I could have done.”
Jayden Daniels, now looking to improve while competing with Myles Brennan, Walker Howard and Garrett Nussmeier for the starting job at LSU, ranked as the 60th overall transfer prospect in the On3 transfer rankings.
At Arizona State, Daniels completed 62.4% of his passes for 6,025 yards and 32 touchdowns in 29 games over three years.
Out of high school from the class of 2019, Daniels was a four-star recruit and the No. 8-ranked recruit from the state of California, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Jayden Daniels on LSU transfer
During his first LSU media session, Jayden Daniels broke down why he chose to transfer to the Tigers and compete for the starting job with other veterans.
“My decision to enter the transfer portal was probably the best decision for me and my future career, the goals I want to accomplish,” said Daniels. “Those conversations with coach Kelly and them, I showed interest in them, they showed interest back. Talked on the phone, just had the opportunity to come play at the highest level, help a powerhouse win another national championship so I could showcase my skills. That’s probably the most intriguing thing for me.
“Coach Kelly is the winningest coach in Notre Dame history, so you know he knows how to win. He knows how to get his team where he needs it to be, so I wanted to be a part of it.”