Arizona State University Recruits Jayden Daniels
On December 13th, 2018, Arizona State’s Christmas present came early. Jayden Daniels, ASU’s highest-rated recruit in 247sports history, committed. The four-star recruit out of San Bernardino was their future.
But, this August, Daniels didn’t wait to impress. As a true freshman, he won the starting job. Herm Edwards put his confidence in Daniels and he hasn’t disappointed. Jayden Daniels is impressive.
Jayden Daniels’ Dual-Threat Ability
Jayden Daniels was cold blooded on this game-winning TD run
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 13, 2019
(@CoorsLight) pic.twitter.com/30s86LGQ8m
After committing to ASU, fans quickly realized that Jayden Daniels was dangerous. In his senior year at Cajon High School, Daniels averaged:
- 322.5 passing yards-per-game
- 4.3 passing touchdowns-per-game
- 109.7 rushing yards-per-game
- 1.14 rushing touchdowns-per-game
Once he hit the Pac-12, he quickly displayed his elusive abilities. Right away, he was dodging collegiate defenders and taking the ball himself.
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As every NFL fan knows, Lamar Jackson is the NFL-MVP front-runner. Due to his elite rushing ability, he’s on a historic run. Intelligently, John Harbaugh and the Ravens leaned into Jackson’s dual-threat ability. Which is so smart. It maximized their chance to win. If Daniels continues to progress, he can hope for a Jackson-like career arch.
Willingness to Throw Downfield
Remember, Jayden Daniels is a true-freshman. Even so, Daniels is playing aggressive and confident football. His 8.9 Yards-Per-Attempt ranks 13th in the nation. Stunningly, his 9.7 Adjusted-Yards-Per-Attempt ranks 10th. The only Pac-12 quarterback to best him in both is Tyler Huntley, who is still playing like the best quarterback in the conference.
Protecting the Football
In the 2019 season, Jayden Daniels threw the ball 310 times. Though he’s been aggressive, Daniels only has two interceptions this season. He’s taken care of the ball. How many young quarterbacks can’t say the same? His 153.5 (No. 19 in the nation) Passing Efficiency Rating displays his secure, yet effective passing style.
Jayden Daniels Upsets Oregon to Show Ceiling
Somehow, against the No.6-ranked Oregon Ducks, Jayden Daniels led the Sun Devils to a win. He threw for 408 yards and 3 touchdowns. In the fourth quarter, he hit Brandon Aiyuk for an 81-yard bomb to seal the victory.
FORKS
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 24, 2019SET!
Jayden Daniels' 81-yard pass to Brandon Aiyuk late in the fourth quarter iced @ASUFootball's 31-28 victory over No. 6 Oregon! pic.twitter.com/ejViYmaf7I
Against Oregon, Daniels showed up in a big way. And Oregon’s defense is great. His Sun Devils put up 31 points. Additionally, Daniels didn’t throw a single interception. Oregon also only sacked him twice. His 206.8 Passing Efficiency Rating against Oregon shows Daniels’ massive upside. Not only did he beat Oregon, he destroyed their playoff hopes. That dagger to Aiyuk was fantastic for him. But, it was devastating to the Ducks.
As an 18-year-old, he’s already proved himself. Very few players bring his raw talent. In future years, get ready for an explosive campaign from Daniels.