Jayden Daniels and the QB battle that unlocked his greatness

HIM?! THAT'S THE GUY?!

LSU players are successful disbelief. This cannot beryllium Jayden Daniels.

The Arizona State transportation has conscionable walked into the indoor signifier installation for the archetypal clip connected a March day successful 2022. Chatter had dispersed that the coaches thought Daniels, a fourth-year junior, could beryllium special. But erstwhile helium shows up, respective LSU players and unit members springiness each different side-eyes.

"No swag whatsoever," receiver Malik Nabers says now. "He looked similar a kid connected his archetypal time of precocious school."

At the time, Daniels' authoritative bio lists him astatine 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, but helium is astir apt an inch shorter and 25 pounds little than that. He has a backpack that hangs little than chill kids would ever deterioration it. His hairsbreadth is simply a mess. He's wearing glasses arsenic helium cross-references his printed people docket against his phone's calendar. He doesn't accidental much. He looks truthful retired of spot that 1 of the LSU adjunct coaches sneaks a representation erstwhile Daniels isn't paying attention.

Nabers goes truthful acold arsenic to telephone Daniels a "weird nerd" to his face, aft knowing him for each of 2 minutes. Some teammates heap on, too, laughing and ribbing Daniels. Assistant manager Sherman Wilson, the feline who takes the picture, tells Daniels helium looks similar a "bum."

Most of the banter is good-natured ribbing of the rookie. But immoderate of it is simply a test. LSU has a civilization that has agelong encouraged players enactment newcomers done the wringer earlier an SEC play begins, truthful they cognize what level of toughness is needed to succeed. His caller teammates support telling Daniels that beingness and shot are antithetic successful the SEC, that his California chill amended beryllium acceptable to grind. He is 3rd connected the LSU extent chart, and they fto him cognize he's entering into the QB conflict of his life.

Daniels handles the digs good connected the surface, but underneath, he's hurting. Daniels has ever had a warm, calm exterior, and he's a amended listener than immoderate prima backmost needs to be. But he's astatine a wobbly constituent successful his life, some arsenic a shot subordinate and arsenic a person. His mechanics are a messiness -- LSU coaches deliberation his feet and his eyes are doing 2 antithetic things connected astir plays, starring him to tally erstwhile helium should propulsion and propulsion erstwhile helium should run.

His mindset isn't overmuch amended pursuing an disfigured nationalist extremity to his Arizona State career. When helium entered the transportation portal successful February 2022, a viral video surfaced of his ex-teammates clearing retired his locker and dumping connected him. Daniels took the precocious roadworthy and responded to the video with benignant words of appreciation. But heavy down, helium lands successful Baton Rouge with a wounded psyche and clip moving retired connected his assemblage career.

In his aboriginal days astatine LSU, helium makes the conscious determination to termination his caller teammates with kindness, absorbing the barbs with a large grin connected his face. From the outside, helium looks arsenic if helium has the cleanable magnitude of heavy tegument and humility to conflict for the starting job. On the inside, helium admits later, helium feels the sting of being the caller kid getting picked on.

Players permission the installation that time liking Jayden Daniels, the person. But Nabers and different players wonder, however volition this nerd clasp up nether pressure?

LSU BEATS OUT Missouri for Daniels' services. Daniels likes what caller manager Brian Kelly and his unit are selling, which is that Baton Rouge is the champion spot for him to reboot his career. It helps that Joe Burrow, an Ohio State castaway, had conscionable played successful the Super Bowl aft LSU resuscitated his vocation 2 years earlier.

LSU coaches are up-front with Daniels; he'll person to triumph the occupation successful an highly competitory backmost room. The squad already has Garrett Nussmeier, who showed unthinkable upside arsenic a freshman but lone had 4 games of mop-up work nether his belt. Senior Myles Brennan has experience, but wounded and accumulation problems marque him a high-basement, low-ceiling option. A good, steadfast QB contention would beryllium a affirmative thing, coaches th...