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 24) 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
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2024) Pro Bowl (2024) Heisman Trophy (2023) Walter Camp Award (2023) College Football Player of the Year (2023) Davey O'Brien Award (2023) Manning Award (2023) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2023) Consensus All-American (2023) First-team All-SEC (2023) SEC Male Athlete of the Year (2024)
Career NFL statistics as of 2024
Passing attempts: 480 Passing completions: 331 Completion percentage: 69.0% TD–INT: 25–9 Passing yards: 3,568 Passer rating: 100.1 Rushing yards: 891 Rushing TDs: 6
Player stats at PFR

Jayden Daniels (born December 18, 2000) is an American professional football quarterback for the Washington Commanders in the National Football League (NFL). Daniels is known as a dual-threat player, meaning he is great at both throwing the ball and running with it. He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils from 2019 to 2021 and for the LSU Tigers from 2022 to 2023. He won the 2023 Heisman Trophy, a huge award for college football players. That year, he scored 50 touchdowns and gained almost 5,000 total yards.

The Commanders picked Daniels as the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. His first year in the NFL was amazing, one of the best ever for a rookie! He set a new record for rushing yards by a rookie quarterback in a season. He also helped the Commanders win more games than they had in a long time. They even made it to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991. During the season, Daniels threw a rare Hail Mary touchdown pass to win a game. This play became famous as the Hail Maryland.

Early Life and High School Football

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

Jayden Daniels was born on December 18, 2000, in Fontana, California. He grew up in nearby San Bernardino. He started playing flag football at age five and tackle football at seven. He briefly played cornerback before becoming a quarterback. As a kid, he also ran track and played basketball and soccer.

Daniels started playing for the Cajon High School varsity team in 2015 as a freshman. He was considered a bit small at 125 pounds, but he still led his team to the playoffs. In 2016, during his sophomore year, he broke his little finger but kept playing the whole season.

Setting Records in High School

In 2017, Daniels had an incredible junior year. He set a state record with over 6,400 total yards. He led Cajon to a league championship and to the state finals. As a senior in 2018, he led his team to another league championship. He also won the Ken Hubbs Award, given to top high school athletes in his area.

Daniels played 53 games at Cajon High School. He set records for the CIF Southern Section with 210 touchdowns and over 17,600 total yards. Besides football, he also ran track, competing in hurdles and various sprint races. He was a top dual-threat quarterback recruit, meaning he was good at both passing and running. He received 25 scholarship offers from colleges. In December 2018, he chose to play for the Sun Devils at Arizona State University. He started college in January 2019.

US college sports recruiting information for 2019 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Jayden Daniels Quarterback	San Bernardino, CA	Cajon (CA)	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	172 lb (78 kg)	Dec 13, 2018
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 86
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 57  247Sports: 35  ESPN: 44
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career

Arizona State Sun Devils (2019–2021)

Daniels (center, No. 5) playing for Arizona State against the Oregon Ducks in 2019

Daniels became the starting quarterback for the Sun Devils in his freshman year (2019). He was the first freshman quarterback to start the opening game for Arizona State. He had a great game against the No. 6 ranked Oregon Ducks, throwing for 408 yards and three touchdowns. This earned him the Pac-12 Conference offensive player of the week award. He was also named the MVP of the 2019 Sun Bowl. Daniels set a new record for freshman passing yards at Arizona State.

In the 2020 season, Daniels and his team only played four games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, he again earned player of the week honors for a game against UCLA. He led the Pac-12 in completion percentage that season. After the 2021 season, Daniels decided to transfer to another college.

LSU Tigers (2022–2023)

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy with the LSU Tigers in 2023.

Daniels transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) in March 2022 and became the starting quarterback for the Tigers. He had a fantastic season in 2022. He led the Tigers to a 9–3 regular season record. He was named a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and the team's most valuable player. He accounted for 28 touchdowns and nearly 3,800 total yards that year.

In the 2023 season, Daniels was named a team captain. He earned SEC offensive player of the week honors multiple times. He made history by becoming the first player in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to have 350 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a single game. He also tied an SEC record with eight total touchdowns in another game.

For the 2023 season, Daniels threw for 40 touchdowns and rushed for 10. He led the NCAA with almost 5,000 total yards. He also set an FBS record for passer rating in a single season. His amazing performance earned him the 2023 Heisman Trophy. He was the third LSU player to win this prestigious award. He also won several other awards, including the Walter Camp Award and Davey O'Brien Award. Daniels decided to skip the ReliaQuest Bowl to get ready for the NFL draft. He finished his college career with over 16,000 total yards in 55 games, ranking among the top ten in FBS history.

College Statistics

Professional Career with the Washington Commanders

Daniels with the Washington Commanders in 2024. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year that season.

The Washington Commanders picked Jayden Daniels as the second overall player in the 2024 NFL draft. He was one of six quarterbacks chosen in the first round, which tied a record from the 1983 draft. Daniels signed his first NFL contract on June 14, 2024. He was named the Commanders' starting quarterback before the season began.

Rookie Season Highlights

Daniels scored two touchdowns in his first NFL game. He got his first win the next week against the New York Giants. In a game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He scored three touchdowns and set an NFL rookie record for completion percentage (91.3%). He was also named the Offensive Rookie of the Month for September.

In October, Daniels got a rib injury but returned the next week. He threw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to win the game as time ran out. This amazing play became known as the Hail Maryland and was named the NFL Moment of the Year. In December, he became only the sixth rookie in NFL history to throw five touchdowns in a single game.

Daniels finished his first regular season with the most points per game (28.5) and highest completion percentage (69%) by a rookie in NFL history. He also set new rookie records for rushing yards (891) and passing yards (3,568) for the Commanders. He threw a rookie-record 12 touchdown passes in the fourth quarter or overtime. Five of these were in the final 30 seconds or were walk-off touchdowns, which is the most by any player since 1970.

The Commanders finished the regular season with a 12–5 record, their best since 1991. They made it to the playoffs as a Wild Card team. The team ended their 19-year playoff win drought with victories over the Buccaneers and Lions. They then lost to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game. Daniels set several rookie quarterback playoff records for passing yards, rushing yards, and completion percentage. He was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year and a Pro Bowl reserve. His rookie season is considered one of the greatest ever for a rookie in NFL history.

Professional Statistics

Player Style and Training

Daniels is often compared to Lamar Jackson because of his dual-threat playing style. He is known for his great vision and accuracy when throwing the ball. He is also very fast and can easily get away from defenders when running. People also admire his calm and cool attitude, especially in important moments late in games.

Daniels is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs around 210 pounds. He looks up to athletes like basketball player Kobe Bryant and football players Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb, and Reggie Bush. He chose the number 5 for his jersey because McNabb and Bush also wore it. Daniels has worked with Ryan Porter, a former football player, as his personal quarterback coach since he was 10 years old.

He uses virtual reality (VR) as part of his training. This VR software lets him practice different football plays and formations. It even shows him opposing players and stadiums. He started using VR at LSU in 2023 and continues to use it in the NFL. Before games, Daniels warms up by playing with a basketball. He learned this routine from his childhood friend and fellow NFL quarterback C. J. Stroud. He says it helps footballs feel smaller and lighter afterward.

Personal Life

Daniels' mother Regina Jackson in 2024

Jayden Daniels' father, Javon "Jay" Daniels, played college football in the 1990s. His mother, Regina Jackson, is his business manager. She became a certified agent in 2024. Jayden also has an older sister named Bianca. Daniels is Christian and is open about his faith.

He earned his college degree from Arizona State in December 2021. He then studied for a master's degree at LSU. On January 20, 2024, the mayor of San Bernardino, Helen Tran, declared it "Jayden Daniels Day." She gave him a key to the city and named Cajon High School's football stadium after him.

Daniels signed deals with companies like Raising Cane's, Powerade, Beats by Dre, and Urban Outfitters while in college. He was featured in a six-part TV series called The Money Game: LSU. This series followed him and other LSU athletes during their 2023–24 sports season. He also signed a deal with the clothing company Nike in April 2024.

In June 2024, Daniels threw the ceremonial first pitch at a Washington Nationals baseball game. He also presented an award at the 2024 ESPYs with Livvy Dunne and rapper Lil Wayne. Daniels also won the Best College Athlete, Men's Sports award at the event. In June 2025, he attended Fanatics Fest. He spoke on panels with NFL Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Dan Marino.