LSU senior Jayden Daniels has won the NCAA Heisman Trophy with 3,812 passing yards and 72.2% completion percentage
NEW YORK, NY– Jayden Daniels has won the 2023 Heisman Trophy after beating out three other quarterbacks for the award. The LSU senior dazzled fans with his dual threat ability all season, racking up 3,812 passing yards with 40 touchdowns while also being only one of two quarterbacks all year to rush for over 1,000 yards.
Daniels finished first in the Heisman voting with 503 first place votes, topping over Washington’s Michael Penix with 292. Daniels is the third LSU player to win the award and the second in recent memory. He joins Joe Burrow in 2019 and Billy Cannon in 1959. Daniels was efficient all year for the Tigers, completing 72.2% of his passes, while crossing the 3,000 yard mark on passing yards for the first time in his college career.
| Player | Total Points |
| Jayden Daniels (LSU) | 2,029 |
| Michael Penix Jr. (Washington) | 1,701 |
| Bo Nix (Oregon) | 885 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) | 352 |
| Jordan Travis (Florida State) | 85 |
| Jalen Milroe (Alabama) | 73 |
| Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State) | 31 |
| Cody Schrader (Missouri) | 29 |
| Blake Corum (Michigan) | 28 |
| JJ McCarthy (Michigan) | 21 |
The total amount of votes were close, the narrowest the decision has been since 2018– Penix came in at 1,701 points and Daniels ultimately took the lead at 2,029.
Jayden Daniels also only threw four interceptions throughout the 2023 season– leading to a 10-to-1 interception ratio, one of the best in the FBS. Daniels always seemed to have the ability to make a big play with a loaded offensive cast. WR Malik Nabers came in second place for the Biletnikoff Trophy, and the team themselves made easy work of nearly every opponent they came across. The offense looked crisp at times for the Tigers, but key losses helped Daniels secure the lead for the Heisman.
The only true competition for the award came from the West Coast, with Penix and Oregon QB Bo Nix on Daniels’ tail the entire time. Daniels was already over top Penix most of the year with mock voting– due to his relegation as a pocket passer. However, Nix lost the battle and iced Daniels at the top of the pyramid when Nix lost twice to the Oregon Ducks, with the final moment being in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
There were more key moments that solidified Daniels’ victory as the 2023 Heisman. An eight touchdown game against Georgia State helped kick off an impressive year, Daniels threw for six touchdowns while rushing for another two on the ground. A 606 yard game against Florida etched his name into the record books as well– stamping his mark on college football forever.
Jayden Daniels ended up with 50 total touchdowns on the season, notching 10 rushing ones in addition to his 40 passing. He also managed complete a whopping 70 passes over 20 yards, the most in the FBS. Over Daniels’ five-year college career, he amassed 12,749 passing yards and 3,307 rushing yards. He is the first player in FBS history with 12,000 career passing yards and 3,000 career rushing yards.
