Through four games of the NFL season, LSU Heisman trophy winning quarterback Jayden Daniels has emerged as the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner. Daniels has led the Commanders to a 3-1 start and he’s completed 82% of his passes for nearly 900 yards. He’s also accounted for seven touchdowns, four of them on the ground.
Tigers Coach Brian Kelly credits Daniels work ethic for his success.
“They have to be wired to wanting to be elite and Jayden wanted that and has been well documented and talked about, he was tireless in his desire to do that. He’s seen that pay off for him now, the work that he put in here, certainly it showed itself in his last year as a Heisman Trophy winner, but it’s paying off in the NFL as well,” Kelly said.
Washington selected Daniels with the 2nd overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy.
It was about this time last year when Daniels started to put up big numbers.
In the 5th game of the season against Ole Miss, Daniels threw for 414 yards and rushed for 99 yards. The following week Daniels threw for three touchdown passes and rushed for 130 yards and a score against Missouri. Against Auburn, Daniels threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards.
Those performances set up a November to remember for Daniels which won him the Heisman and moved him up the draft boards.
LSU’s current quarterback, Garrett Nussmeier, is off to a fantastic start.
Nussmeier is fourth in the country in passing yards with 1,652, third in touchdown passes, fifth in passing yards per game. He’s also completing nearly 70% of his passes.
There’s talk among the fan base on whether Nussmeier will return for his senior season.
ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper put out his top ten ranking for the 2025 NFL draft. He has Nussmeier ranked eighth. But if Nussmeier keeps putting up the numbers he’s already put up against SEC defenses, he’ll make a move up the draft boards just like Daniels.
Work ethic is the secret sauce for the Nuss Buss too.
