Former Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels of LSU wins Heisman

Saturday night, former ASU and current LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was awarded the Heisman Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football.

Daniels is the third LSU Tiger to win the award after halfback Billy Cannon won in 1959 and quarterback Joe Burrow won in 2019.

Playing for the Tigers, Daniels finished his fifth year of college football with 3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards, totaling nearly 5,000 overall. He scored 40 times through the air and 10 times on the ground with just four interceptions.

In three seasons as a Sun Devil, he totaled over 7,300 yards through the air and on the ground, scoring 45 total times. He led ASU to two bowls in his three years, including a Sun Bowl win.

Among the many mentions in his acceptance speech, Daniels thanked personnel from his time at ASU such as Herm Edwards and Antonio Pierce, as well as Taylor Kelly, a Sun Devil standout-turned-QB trainer.

Second-place Michael Penix Jr. was one of two Heisman finalists hailing from the Pac-12’s final season. He also led the Washington Huskies to the final Pac-12 title with an appearance in the College Football Playoff, starting with a Jan. 1 matchup against Texas.

Penix surpassed 4,200 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his 2023 campaign. It included two wins against fellow finalist Bo Nix and Oregon, where Penix passed for over 300 yards in each game.

Third-place Nix capped off one of the most historic careers in NCAA history, reaching nearly 15,000 passing yards over his career. This season alone, he threw for 4,145 yards with 40 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Even if Nix doesn’t play in Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with Liberty on Jan. 1, he will have finished seventh on the NCAA’s all-time passing leaders. He’s 42 yards behind Ty Detmer and 250 behind Sam Hartman for top-five all time.

Fourth-place Marvin Harrison Jr. became the first Ohio State receiver with back-to-back seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving, surpassing 1,200 in each of the last two. He also scored 14 touchdowns in each.

Though he told reporters earlier this week he is still undecided on his NFL future, many mock drafts have Harrison coming to Arizona as the Cardinals’ top selection.

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