Jayden Daniels stats: How LSU's Heisman Trophy hopeful compares to Joe Burrow, other winners
To no one's surprise, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was named as a Heisman Trophy finalist alongside Washington's Michael Penix Jr., Oregon's Bo Nix and Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. on Monday.
Daniels has been viewed as a top contender for college football's most prestigious individual award all season, and he has the numbers to back it up. Daniels has been working opposite a brutally bad defense this year while leading LSU to the top scoring offense in college football at 46.4 points per game. He came back from entering the concussion protocol against Alabama and threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns against Florida to kick off a three-game stretch in which he threw 13 touchdowns and no picks to close out the season.
When Nix and the Ducks lost to Penix Jr. and the Huskies for the second time, Daniels' odds shortened dramatically. Indeed, had Nix won that game, the equation would have drastically changed.
Even with Daniels behind Penix and Nix in some counting stats (thanks in part to an extra game for the latter two), the LSU QB's 40 touchdowns make a compelling case. How does Daniels stack up to some of the other Heisman winners in years past? Here's a glimpse into how he fares the likes of Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Joe Burrow, and others.
REQUIRED READING: Heisman Trophy finalists 2023: Jayden Daniels, Michael Penix, Bo Nix, Marvin Harrison selected
Jayden Daniels 2023 stats
What stands out about Daniels is not only his stats, but also his consistency.
While LSU has fielded a defense that has given up points in bunches this year, Daniels has led LSU's offense to 46.4 points per game and a 9-3 record. The Tigers' losses came to No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida State and No. 11 Ole Miss in which all three scored 40-plus points.
Wins and losses, of course, are not a quarterback stat. Here's a look at Daniels' stats this year:
Passing: 236 of 327 passing (72.2%) for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns and four interceptions, 208 QB rating
Rushing: 135 rushes for 1,134 yards (8.4 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns
Daniels' X-factor lies in his legs: Though he prefers to pass first, he is more mobile than either Penix or Nix. That makes him accountable for even more of the LSU offense than just his passing stats, a common thread in many previous Heisman winners.
He accounted for 4,946 yards in 2023, and 50 total touchdowns.
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Previous Heisman Trophy winner stats
Throwing out Alabama running back Derrick Henry and receiver DeVonta Smith (comparing across positions is folly), here's how Daniels compares to the previous 10 Heisman QB winners:
Passing stats
Year | Winner | Cmp./Att. (%) | Pass Yards | TDs-INTs | QBR |
2022 | Caleb Williams | 333/500 (66.6%) | 4,537 | 42-5 | 168.5 |
2021 | Bryce Young | 366/547 (66.9%) | 4,872 | 47-7 | 167.5 |
2019 | Joe Burrow | 402/527 (76.3%) | 5,671 | 60-6 | 202.0 |
2018 | Kyler Murray | 260/377 (69%) | 4,361 | 42-7 | 199.2 |
2017 | Baker Mayfield | 285/404 (70.5%) | 4,672 | 43-6 | 198.9 |
2016 | Lamar Jackson | 230/409 (56.2%) | 3,543 | 30-9 | 148.8 |
2014 | Marcus Mariota | 304/445 (68.3%) | 4,454 | 42-4 | 181.7 |
2013 | Jameis Winston | 257/384 (66.9%) | 4,057 | 40-10 | 184.8 |
2012 | Johnny Manziel | 295/434 (68%) | 3,706 | 26-9 | 155.3 |
2011 | Robert Griffin III | 291/402 (72.4%) | 4,293 | 37-6 | 189.5 |
Rushing stats
Year | Winner | Rush* | Rush Yards* | Yards per carry | Rush TDs |
2022 | Caleb Williams | 113 | 382 | 3.4 | 10 |
2021 | Bryce Young | 81 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
2019 | Joe Burrow | 115 | 368 | 3.2 | 5 |
2018 | Kyler Murray | 140 | 1,001 | 7.2 | 12 |
2017 | Baker Mayfield | 97 | 311 | 3.2 | 5 |
2016 | Lamar Jackson | 260 | 1,571 | 6.0 | 21 |
2014 | Marcus Mariota | 135 | 770 | 5.7 | 15 |
2013 | Jameis Winston | 88 | 219 | 2.5 | 4 |
2012 | Johnny Manziel | 201 | 1,410 | 7.0 | 21 |
2011 | Robert Griffin III | 179 | 699 | 3.9 | 10 |
There are a few thresholds a Heisman-winning quarterback generally surpasses, with some exceptions. Those include:
4,500-plus all-purpose yards (check for Daniels, and nine players in last 10)
50-plus total touchdowns (check for Daniels, six players in last 10)
Fewer than 10 interceptions (check for Daniels, nine players on list)
Not turning the ball over while creating is paramount. Although Daniels' passing total is comparatively low to some of the other players, he makes up ground with his 1,000-plus rushing yards, which is more than every other previous Heisman-winning quarterback aside from Jackson in 2016. Though he doesn't have the highest rushing totals or rushing touchdown totals, he has the highest yard-per-carry average (8.4) of any the previous 10 Heisman-winning QBs.
Nix and Penix have also been outstanding this year, and did surpass the 4,000-yard mark passing. But Penix hardly ran at all, and Nix only did so as a last resort. Less run-happy quarterbacks such as Young, Burrow, and Mayfield made up for it with otherworldly passing stats, whereas Winston stands as a bit of an anomaly in 2013.
All of these factors are why Daniels is such a runaway favorite to win the award, despite LSU's 9-3 season. While team success is often factored into the Heisman winner — one needn't look further than the records of the teams of previous winners to see that — Daniels largely stands alone in 2023.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jayden Daniels stats: How LSU QB compares to previous Heisman winners
