Should Jayden Daniels Stay At LSU Football For One More Year?

Brian Kelly and his LSU Football Tigers are riding high at the moment, a 9-2 record, ranked #6 in the nation, and they have already clinched the SEC West. Not many people could’ve predicted such success in Kelly’s first season in Baton Rouge.

While much of the credit has to go to Kelly and his staff, the growth of quarterback Jayden Daniels has proved as one of the defining factors for the Tigers in 2022.

After playing the previous three seasons at Arizona State, Daniels transferring to LSU didn’t send shockwaves throughout the college football world. It wasn’t even a forgone conclusion that Daniels would be named the Tigers starter at QB.

Though, after a rocky start, which included a (then) shocking loss to FSU on opening weekend, Daniels has since turned it around.

With three games remaining so far in the Tigers 2022 season, here are Daniels stats so far:

-2,377 passing yards

-15 touchdown passes (2 interceptions)

-69.6% completion percentage

They aren’t 2019 Joe Burrow like stats, but Daniels has been proficient, careful with the football, everything that Brian Kelly looks for in his starting quarterback.

Now, however, the question remains. Does Daniels, who has one season of eligibility left, declare early for the NFL Draft. Or, does he return to Baton Rouge for his senior year, coming back to an LSU team that could be primed for a run at a national championship?

Should Jayden Daniels stay at LSU Football or go to the NFL?

Returning for the 2023 season would also be beneficial to Daniels’ draft stock as well. While he is thriving as of late, Daniels still has much to work on.

Yes, he scares opposing defenses with his dual-threat abilities, but his talents as a pocket passer, pre-and-post reads, and being more consistent as a thrower are parts of Daniels’ game he can improve.

We’ve seen over the last several years, multiple quarterbacks who decided to stay an extra season in college, and in turn became high draft picks.

Kenny Pickett last season is a great example. Pickett decided to return to Pitt for one more year, ended up throwing 42 touchdowns and passing for over 4,300 yards. His remarkable play, plus guiding Pitt to the ACC Championship game, helped Pickett become a first-round draft pick for the Steelers.

Now, Pickett made a MIRACULOUS jump from his junior year to senior season. In 2020, Pickett threw for 2,408 yards and 13 touchdowns, and take a look at the previous paragraph to see what he did in 2021.

Now I will say, if Daniels does decide to come back in 2023, it’s unfair to automatically assume that he’ll put up Pickett-like numbers.

Having said that, I do think it would be in his best interest to return to LSU Football for one more year, for his draft stock, and possibly a Tigers title run.