For Jayden Daniels, it wasn’t a big run in terms of offensive snaps, but the Washington Commanders rookie certainly did well in his weekend NFL debut. For those who have followed Daniels since his high school days, this wasn’t a big surprise.
Daniels completed 2-of-3 passes for 45 yards along with a 3-yard rushing touchdown in his NFL debut, a 20-17 loss at the New York Jets on Saturday. It was a limited sample size, but one that showed more than a flash for the former Heisman winner from LSU.
Daniels spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Arizona State and then finished out his last two years of eligibility at LSU. It was in 2023 that Daniels secured his status as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.
When Daniels committed to Arizona State in 2019, he was a four-star recruit according to Rivals and the No. 57 player in the nation. Coming out of Cajon (San Bernadino, California), he had a strong offer list that included Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State.
Check out this throw from Daniels during his junior year of high school. A nice 48-yard bomb that looked almost effortless leaving his hands.
Here’s how Cajon ended the first half. A 48-yard Hail Mary TD pass from Jayden Daniels to Darren Jones. pic.twitter.com/Pz1jz0yxWk
— Evan Barnes (@evan_b) December 16, 2017
Yes, as a junior. Just a reminder that Daniels threw for over 9,600 yards and had 122 touchdown passes during his two seasons at Cajon.
Into quadruple coverage? Truth be told, probably not what Commanders head coach Dan Quinn would want to see.
But it worked here for Cajon, didn’t it?
