Former Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels Cracks Top List

Jayden Daniels remains perhaps the biggest 'what-if' in the history of Arizona State football.

The former Sun Devil starred as a freshman in Tempe in 2019 before numerous accentuating factors resulted in the talented dual threat QB transferring out to Louisiana State.

The firing of Rob Likens after a 17 touchdown, two interception freshman season was further compounded by the pandemic in 2020 and he was unable to grow in what was a situation that continued to destabilize by the day under Herm Edwards.

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy in 2023, was the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by the Washington Commanders, and won Offensive Rookie of the Year while nearly leading the franchise to a Super Bowl appearance.

The fruitful rookie year has earned Daniels universal praise from media and players alike - Pete Prisco of CBS Sports is among those who are singing the praises of the upcoming sophomore star.

Daniels ranked in at number 33 in Prisco's top 100 players list - directly below Jahmyr Gibbs and directly ahead of Trent Williams.

More from Prisco as to why Daniels ranks so high below:

"Daniels showed as a rookie that he has star potential and should be a top-level quarterback for a long time. It's scary to think how good he can be once he learns how to really play the position." (Last season: NR)

Daniels accounted for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while also having a historic season as a runner - the explosive dual threat ability was seldom unlocked in Tempe.

It can't be stressed enough that Daniels always held the ability to be a high-end player, even as a freshman with the program - coaching changes, instability within the ASU program, and an inability to consistently develop wide receivers post-Brandon Aiyuk were what held the former four star talent back from coming into his own with the Sun Devils.

Now, Daniels looks to shed the grim years that were the 2020 and 2021 seasons even more - as he is officially an NFL star.

Read more about an underrated quarterback in the history of Arizona State in Manny Wilkins here, and about current QB Sam Leavitt being snubbed on a 2026 NFL draft big board list here.

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