Ashton Daniels: 'It means the world to be an ACC quarterback'

As Stanford moves to the ACC in 2024, Ashton Daniels is going to be leading them at quarterback, and that means a great deal to him.

After biding his time with the Cardinal, Daniels is ready to step in and be the unquestioned leader of the team. Last season, he passed for 2,247 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for 296 yards and three touchdowns, as well.

Entering a new conference is never an easy thing to do, but Stanford will be looking to make a name for themselves in the ACC, and Daniels is putting a ton of pressure on himself to perform, especially when he thinks about what it means to lead a team in the conference with such a rich history.

“Absolutely. The ACC has always been known for their quarterbacks,” Daniels said, asked whether he ruminates about the ACC’s historic group of quarterbacks, via ACC Media Days. “For example, Deshaun Watson is from Georgia. I probably looked up to him the most as I was growing up watching college football and all that kind of stuff.

“I just know that it means the world to be an ACC quarterback. I’m starting to accept and realize that that’s now my role. I’ll forever be grateful for it.”

The Buford, Georgia native is well versed in the history of the ACC, and he wants to become the latest in a long line of tremendous talents to quarterback teams in the conference. It means even more to him that he’ll be the first for Stanford as they venture on a new journey.

Last season was a major disappointment for the Cardinal, as they went 3-9 during their final season in the Pac-12. While they had their fair share of impressive performances, like a one-point loss to Arizona and a victory over Washington State, it all added up to a rough campaign for Stanford.

As Daniels and company make their move, Stanford’s first ACC game will come against a rejuvenated Syracuse team. That’ll be the first chance he has to make his mark on the conference. However, a Sept. 28 clash with the Clemson Tigers will be the welcoming Daniels wants, as he did mention watching Deshaun Watson.

Perhaps he’ll emanate the former national title-winning quarterback, and lead Stanford on an unexpected run. Nobody is predicting the Cardinal to win it all in their first season, but they had a ton of success over the last decade, before last season’s debacle.

Ashton Daniels is motivated, and he’s a talented signal caller. We’ll see where his place in the ACC is when it’s all said and done, but he’s not taking the opportunity lightly in 2024.