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Jayden Daniels: Difference in comfort at LSU is 'night and day' from 2022

PeterWarrenPhoto2by:Peter Warren•07/17/23•

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LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is in his second year with the Tigers program after transferring from Arizona State last offseason. What a difference a year makes.

Daniels chatted with On3’s J.D. PicKell at SEC Media Days on Monday and discussed how much more comfortable he is running the offense and being a leader on the team.

“Night and day,” Daniels told On3. “Really just going out there and knowing what Coach Kelly wants and how he views the team. Obviously I got his his vote on being the leader of the team. That makes it that much more sweeter. Knowing that I still gotta go out there and still prove myself each and every day but he knows that I’m the guy that could lead this team and really try to take the team to new heights.”

Daniels was 266 of 388 passing the football for the Tigers last year for 2913 yards and 17 touchdowns along with just three interceptions. He also rushed the ball 186 times for 885 yards and 11 scores.

Last season was also Brian Kelly‘s first season leading LSU after more than a decade in South Bend, Ind., with Notre Dame.

The year went better than many people expected. Kelly and Daniels took the Tigers to the SEC Championship Game thanks to a surprising SEC West title that included a memorable victory over Alabama in Baton Rouge. While the team was rolled by Georgia in the game and ended up with four losses on the season, the 10-4 season set the stage for the high expectations of 2023.

Daniels said during SEC Media Days that he thinks the Tigers could have one of the top offenses in the country.

“I feel like that’s what we need to do, take the offense to the next level,” said Daniels, who is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the conference heading into the season. “I feel like we have a top offense in the country. We have the talent out there to go out there and make those plays. Just this summer, we’ve been working hard at it, hard on our timing. Even if our player-led practices and stuff, we’re giving guys an opportunity to go make plays.”

Jayden Daniels and LSU will open the season with one of the best non-conference games of the year against Florida State on a neutral site in Orlando.