QB1 is headed back to LSU.
Tigers quarterback Jayden Daniels put to bed any discussion that he might be headed to play on Sunday, announcing on social media Thursday that he's headed back to Baton Rouge for his senior season.
It's the latest bit of good news for the Tigers, a day after making official their impressive 25-man signing class heading into Year 2 under Brian Kelly. Top WR Kayshon Boutte had already announced his intention to return earlier in December.
“Louisiana has accepted me as their own and there is nothing like Saturday Nights in Tiger Stadium," Daniels wrote. "We accomplished a lot this year and exceeded many peoples’ expectations even though we came up short of some of goals. … This has been an amazing ride and honestly, I am not ready to get off just yet. That is why it is important that I announce I am returning for the 2023 season to fulfill the goal of an LSU Tiger and bring our fans another championship.”
It sets up an LSU squad that surprised many en route to an SEC West title this past season for another run with an offense that improved throughout the season while utilizing Daniels' dual-threat ability to perfection. It also gives a chance for the core of this year's squad to correct a disappointing finish with back-to-back losses to Texas A&M to close out the season and a blowout loss to top-ranked Georgia in the SEC Championship.
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It was an impressive Year 1 for Daniels in an LSU uniform after transferring from Arizona State, most notably in the clutch category. Daniels helped lead comebacks in multiple SEC games, and engineered one of the biggest upsets of the season when the Tigers took down Alabama at Tiger Stadium. Daniels finished the regular season with an impressive line of 254 for 371 passing for 2,774 yards and 16 touchdowns against just 3 interceptions. But his biggest impact came with his rushing ability, toting the ball for 818 yards and 11 touchdowns on 180 carries. Daniels dealt with an ankle injury late in the year that forced him to leave the SEC title game at halftime.
LSU will face off with Purdue in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 2, though it's unknown whether Daniels and other LSU stars will be active in that game. The question going forward will be what that means for the other QBs on the roster, including sophomore Garrett Nussmeier and 5-star freshman Walker Howard, who could be potential transfer options without a clear route to the Tigers' starting job for at least another year.
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