Jayden Daniels explains what he sees as a runner, sometimes amazes himself

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has emerged as one of the Heisman Trophy front-runners, in part thanks to his ability to be a slippery but explosive runner when he takes off from the pocket.

Few teams have been able to get a real handle on Daniels, who just seems to have a knack for making defenders miss.

“I mean it’s hard to explain. I just, when I’m in it and the game is slowing up I see something,” Daniels said on the Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday. “That’s something I’ve been doing since a young age, be able to use my legs and create explosive plays.”

Daniels has already run for 515 yards and four touchdowns, showcasing his elite running ability.

He leads the SEC quarterbacks in rushing, while he ranks fifth in the conference in rushing yardage regardless of player. Only four running backs currently rank ahead of him, including teammate Logan Diggs.

But it’s the sheer dazzling quality of Daniels’ runs that catches the eye.

“Sometimes I amaze myself with how I get out of things,” Daniels said. “Other times I try to, might do a little bit too much and might get away with it. I try to limit that, but sometimes I surprise myself on film with what I can do with my legs.”

None of the running takes away from Daniels’ passing, either. If anything, his passing has been complemented by the running, as it forces defenders to choose between defending in coverage versus coming up to make a stop on Daniels.

Often receivers end up running free.

Daniels has already thrown for 2,294 yards with 22 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He’s been elite by every definition of the word.

As for his ability as a runner, Daniels credits his ability to see things before they come free.

“You’ve got to visualize stuff,” Jayden Daniels said. “Obviously going in there and obviously talking with the offensive coordinator up top, we were able to communicate and this is what they see, this is what I see and we roll from there. Everybody is on the same page. When I’m running the ball I’m not a fear runner. I don’t really fear anything but got to be more smart sometimes.”