LSU Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels poses for photos with the Heisman trophy. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Two Commanders legends featured in best college football players list

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated May 22, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Washington Commanders haven't had much success over the past 25 years, but they have housed some of the best players at the collegiate level in their first stop in the NFL.

The Athletic's Bruce Feldman conjured a list of the 25 best college football players of the last 25 years, and Sean Taylor came in at No. 22, while quarterback Jayden Daniels followed him right after at No. 21.

Taylor, Daniels featured on college football's best players list

"A 6-2, 230-pound former Florida state 100-meter champion, Taylor was perhaps the most intimidating safety who has ever played football. He was one of only four true freshmen who saw the field on the 2001 Hurricanes — ranked Monday by Stewart Mandel as the best team of the century so far — making 26 tackles. In 2002, as a starter, he had 85 tackles and four interceptions, including two in the national title game loss to Ohio State. In his third season, he led the nation in interceptions and set a school record with three pick sixes," Feldman wrote.

"Daniels didn’t lead LSU to a national title in his second act in college football, but he capped a five-year college career with a spectacular senior season in Baton Rouge. He played three seasons at ASU and had some good moments, including a 17-to-2 TD-to-INT ratio as a freshman in 2019, but in his last year with the Sun Devils, who were falling apart under Herm Edwards, he threw as many interceptions (10) as touchdowns.

"At LSU, Daniels flourished. He had a couple of elite receivers (Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.) and bought into how cutting-edge technology could transform how he saw the game. The German VR “flight simulator” that Daniels trained with helped the QB make staggering improvement. He averaged 11.7 yards per attempt and set a single-season FBS record with a pass efficiency rating of 208.0 en route to winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy."

Taylor's career was cut short after he was murdered in 2007, and he was on pace to thrive in the NFL. Daniels looks the part of a top-tier quarterback after his rookie season, and the hopes are that he can change the franchise like Taylor might have done if he continued to play.