LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels admits his mind was racing before last year’s season opener against Florida State. He’s more at ease this time around. Daniels knows the playbook, offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock and his teammates.
Despite uncertainty heading into the 2022 campaign, Daniels still put up impressive numbers. The California native threw for 2,913 yards, 17 touchdowns and just three interceptions.
He also set LSU QB records with 885 rushing yards and 11 rushing TDs.
Daniels goes into this season as a top Heisman Trophy candidate and is eager to see if all the work he put in during the offseason will pay off.
“It comes with the work that I put in day in and day out, not just with myself, but with the guys, the coaches and my quarterback coach back home, constantly getting better, day-by-day,” Daniels said. “That my was goal, personally, was to get 1 percent better every day.”
LSU is looking forward to another chance at Florida State. The Tigers played poorly for three quarters last season, before Daniels led LSU on a furious fourth quarter comeback that fell just short with a blocked PAT.
Daniels says he’s rewatched that game a lot and realizes they left winning plays out on the field. He’s ready for what FSU will bring on Sept. 3 in Orlando.
“We got to be on high alert for the different pressures they bring, their athleticism on the edges,” he said. “They can come out there and they can really cause havoc if I don’t make the right calls or I don’t get the ball out, take a negative play, they really feast on negative plays.”
Coach Brian Kelly has implored Daniels to push the ball down the field with his arm. Daniels plans to do that, but if he can move the chains with his legs, he’ll continue to do that, too.
“If the defense wants to play soft and give me the opportunity to run, I’m still going to be the same player that I am,” Daniels said. “I am never going to change. At the end of the day the name of the game is winning. Whatever I can do to contribute to help the team win, I’m going to do that.”
There is one change, though. Daniels said he’s added nearly 20 pounds of good weight, so he’s bigger and stronger and still as fast he was last year.
