LSU HC Brian Kelly provides injury update on star QB Jayden Daniels

LSU was down 42-28 when quarterback Jayden Daniels took one of the biggest hits of this college football season.

Daniels was hit late by Alabama linebacker Dallas Turner, whose helmet struck just under Daniels' chinstrap. Turner was penalized for roughing the passer, but there's a strong case to be made that he should have been hit with a targeting penalty and ejected from the game.

That's certainly what LSU head coach Brian Kelly thought. So much so that he sent film of the hit to be reviewed.

“I want to protect the quarterback and certainly there was a penalty on the play,” Kelly said on Monday (h/t On3). “You know, targeting is looked at by the replay officials. They had plenty of time, I think we even went to a timeout there as well. So there was plenty of time to look at it. They must have felt that there wasn’t targeting.

“We sent it into the league office, because we felt like it checked all the boxes, but again, you know, we want to protect the quarterback here, obviously.”

As far as Daniels is concerned, he left the game after that hit and didn't return.

Per Kelly, the star quarterback is now day-to-day.

"He’s going through the injury protocol. And he’s made improvements. But this is a process that we’ll just have to, you know, see how it plays out from day to day, but I can tell you that he’s made some progress.”

Despite the loss and the fact that he couldn't finish the game, Daniels was spectacular against Alabama.

He completed 15-of-24 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He was also a terror with his legs, rushing 11 times for 163 yards and a touchdown. 

At 6-3 and with games against Florida and Texas A&M remaining (with Georgia State sandwiched in the middle), Kelly and LSU will certainly be hoping for day-to-day to turn into "probable" sooner rather than later for Daniels.