Jayden Daniels facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jayden Daniels

Daniels in 2024
No. 5 – Washington Commanders
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(2000-12-18) December 18, 2000 (age 23) Fontana, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school:	Cajon (San Bernardino, California)
College:	Arizona State (2019–2021) LSU (2022–2023)
NFL Draft:	2024 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Washington Commanders (2024–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Heisman Trophy (2023) Walter Camp Award (2023) AP College Football Player of the Year (2023) SN College Football Player of the Year (2023) SEC Male Athlete of the Year (2024) Davey O'Brien Award (2023) Manning Award (2023) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2023) Consensus All-American (2023)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 9, 2024
Passing attempts: 228 Passing completions: 163 Completion percentage: 71.5% TD–INT: 9–2 Passing yards: 1,945 Passer rating: 106.7 Rushing yards: 459 Rushing TDs: 4
Player stats at PFR

Jayden Daniels (born December 18, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played three seasons of college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils and two with the LSU Tigers, winning the 2023 Heisman Trophy with the latter after leading the FBS in total yards and setting its single-season passer rating record. Daniels was selected by the Commanders second overall in the 2024 NFL draft, setting several completion percentage records within his first month of playing. His rookie season also saw him throw a game-winning Hail Mary pass as time expired in a play known as the Madhouse in Maryland.

Early life

Daniels in the 2019 Under Armour High School All-America Game

Daniels was born on December 18, 2000, in Fontana, California, and raised in nearby San Bernardino. As a youth, he played flag football, basketball, and soccer before attending Cajon High School in 2015. Daniels, named the starting quarterback of Cajon's varsity team as a freshman, required a medical waiver to play due to being undersized for the position at 125 pounds (57 kg). He led the team to the CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) Inland Division playoffs that year, losing to Heritage in the semifinals. He broke the little finger of his throwing hand in the first game of the 2016 season but missed no games. In 2017, Daniels led Cajon to a Citrus Belt League (CBL) title and an appearance in the Division 2-AA state finals against Junípero Serra while setting the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) record for total yards in a season with 6,431. He led Cajon to another CBL title as a senior in 2018 before falling to Sierra Canyon in the CIF-SS Division 3 championship. He was named the men's recipient of the Ken Hubbs Award, given annually the top high school athletes in the greater San Bernardino area, following the season.

He played 53 games at Cajon and set CIF-SS records with 211 touchdowns (170 passing, 41 rushing) and 17,642 career yards (14,007 passing, 3,635 rushing). Daniels also participated in hurdling and the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and 4 × 100 meters relay sprints at the school. Ranked the top dual-threat quarterback prospect of his class by 247Sports, he participated in the 2018 Elite 11 quarterback skills competition and threw two touchdowns in the 2019 Under Armour High School All-America Game. Daniels received 25 college football offers before choosing the Sun Devils of Arizona State University in December 2018. He graduated from Cajon and enrolled in January 2019.

College career

Arizona State (2019–2021)

Daniels (center) with the Arizona State Sun Devils playing against the Oregon Ducks in 2019

Daniels, named the starter for the 2019 season, was the first Sun Devils freshman quarterback to start opening week. In Week 8, he suffered a minor knee injury against the UCLA Bruins that forced him to sit the following week. In Week 13, Daniels was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in an upset win against the Oregon Ducks, scoring three touchdowns and passing for 408 yards. He was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the 2019 Sun Bowl in a win over the Florida State Seminoles, finishing the season with 17 touchdowns and 2,943 yards, the latter being a school record for a freshman. Daniels was also named a semifinalist for the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) freshman of the year award.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniels and the Sun Devils played only four games in the 2020 season. One of the games included a 70–7 win against the Arizona Wildcats, the most points scored by a team in the history of the state rivalry. He led the Pac-12 in completion percentage (65.4) for the 2021 season, throwing for 2,381 yards with 10 touchdowns and rushing for 710 yards with 6 touchdowns en route to an appearance in the 2021 Las Vegas Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers. Due to significant coaching staff turnover following the season, in which several had been fired following an NCAA investigation into the team for COVID-related recruiting violations, Daniels entered the transfer portal in February 2022. His mother Regina was later implicated in helping arrange unofficial visits for recruits.

LSU (2022–2023)

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy with the LSU Tigers in 2023 after accounting for 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards.

Daniels transferred to Louisiana State University to play for the LSU Tigers in March 2022, winning a competition over Garrett Nussmeier to be named the starter prior to the 2022 season opener. He led the Tigers to an appearance in the 2022 SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs. Daniels, entering with a sprained ankle, left the game following a sack by Jalen Carter late in the second quarter. He returned for the 2023 Citrus Bowl, catching a touchdown pass from wide receiver Malik Nabers in a 63–7 win over the Purdue Boilermakers. Daniels was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and voted the team's most valuable player (MVP) after accounting for 28 touchdowns (17 passing, 11 rushing) and 3,798 total yards (2,913 passing, 885 rushing) on the season.

Daniels was named a team captain for the 2023 season. In a Week 9 game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, he sustained a concussion from a hit by Dallas Turner. Daniels returned the following week against the Florida Gators, setting an SEC record with 606 total yards and becoming the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to have 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a single game. He tied another SEC record a week later against the Georgia State Panthers by scoring eight touchdowns. Daniels won the Heisman Trophy among several other awards after scoring 50 touchdowns (40 passing, 10 rushing), leading the NCAA with 4,946 total yards (3,812 passing, 1,134 rushing), and setting the single-season passer rating record (208.0). He was the third LSU player to win the Heisman behind Billy Cannon in 1959 and Joe Burrow in 2019. Daniels sat out of the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl in January to prepare for the NFL draft. He finished his career top ten in FBS history with 16,056 total yards and the only to pass for 12,000 yards while rushing for 3,000.

Statistics

Professional career

Daniels in his NFL debut with the Washington Commanders, 2024

Daniels was selected second overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2024 NFL draft. He was the second of six quarterbacks (QB) taken in the first round, tying the 1983 draft for the most in NFL history. In his rookie offseason, Daniels and former LSU teammate Malik Nabers received training from the league on its gambling policy for proposing a friendly $10,000 bet on who would be named Offensive Rookie of the Year. He acquired his college uniform number 5 in a deal with Tress Way, who had worn it with the team since 2014. Daniels signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $37.75 million fully guaranteed, on June 14, 2024. He was named the Commanders' starting quarterback near the end of training camp.

In the 2024 season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Daniels became the first NFL quarterback to rush for over 80 yards with two touchdowns in his NFL debut. He won his first game the following week against the New York Giants. In Week 3, Daniels was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after setting an NFL rookie and Commanders franchise record with a 91.3% completion percentage on 23 attempts along with 293 total yards and three touchdowns in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals. The following week against the Arizona Cardinals, he became the first player to complete at least 85 percent in consecutive games. Daniels was named Offensive Rookie of the Month for September after completing the highest percentage of passes (82.1) over a four game span in NFL history, with more scoring drives led (23) than incomplete passes thrown (19). He was the first rookie to have 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards through his first five games.

Daniels suffered a rib injury on the opening drive against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 and left the game. He returned the following week against the Chicago Bears, throwing a game-winning 52-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired to wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone in a play known as the Madhouse in Maryland. By the midway point of the season, Daniels was considered among the favorites to win the NFL MVP award.

Statistics

Highlights and awards

Daniels was the first college football player to pass for 350 yards and rush for 200 in the same game, doing so against the Florida Gators in 2023.

College

Awards

• Heisman Trophy (2023)
• Walter Camp Award (2023)
• Associated Press College Football Player of the Year (2023)
• Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (2023)
• SEC Male Athlete of the Year (2024)
• Davey O'Brien Award (2023)
• Manning Award (2023)
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2023)
• Consensus All-American (2023)
• Best College Athlete, Men's Sports (2024 ESPYs)
• SEC Football Offensive Player of the Year (2023)
• 2022 LSU Tigers MVP
• 2019 Sun Bowl MVP
• 7× SEC Offensive Player of the Week (2022: Week 8, 10; 2023: Week 3, 4, 6, 11, 12)
• 2× Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (2019: Week 13; 2021: Week 5)

Records

• FBS single-season passer rating record: 208.0 (2023)
• Only player in FBS history with 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing
• SEC single-game touchdowns: 8; tied with Joe Burrow (2023)
• SEC single-game total yards: 606 (2023)
• LSU career quarterback rushing yards: 2,019
• LSU single-season total yards: 4,946 (2023)
• LSU single-season quarterback rushing yards: 1,134 (2023)
• LSU single-season quarterback rushing touchdowns: 11 (2022)
• Only player in FBS history with 350 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in a game
• Arizona State freshman passing yards: 2,943 (2019)

NFL

Awards

• NFC Offensive Player of the Week (2024: Week 3)
• 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Month (September)
• 2024 Rookie of the Week (Week 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)

Records

• Rookie single-game completion percentage: 91.3% (2024)

Personal life

Daniels' mother Regina Jackson in 2024

Daniels was born to Javon "Jay" Daniels, a college football cornerback in the late 1990s for the Washington Huskies and Iowa State Cyclones, and Regina Jackson. Jackson became an NFLPA certified agent in 2024. He has an older sister named Bianca. His paternal grandparents died from COVID-19 in early 2021. He is a Christian. Daniels grew up a fan of quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, choosing 5 as his uniform number after McNabb. He earned an undergraduate degree from Arizona State in December 2021 and pursued a Master of Liberal Arts degree while at LSU. In 2024, San Bernardino mayor Helen Tran declared January 20 Jayden Daniels Day and presented him with the key to the city. At the same time, Cajon High School renamed their football stadium after him.

Daniels uses virtual reality (VR) as part of his training. The custom software, designed for VR headsets by the German company Cognilize, incorporates his team's playbook and allows for specific stadiums and teams to be represented. He began the practice at LSU in 2023 and continued to use the technology in the NFL. In college, Daniels signed name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals with brands such as Raising Cane's, Powerade, Beats by Dre, and Urban Outfitters. He was featured on The Money Game: LSU, a six-part NIL-focused docuseries by Prime Video that followed him, Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, Livvy Dunne, and Alia Armstrong through LSU's 2023–24 sports season. Daniels threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game in June 2024. At the 2024 ESPYs the following month, he presented the Best Play Award to Lamar Jackson alongside Dunne and Lil Wayne.