Jayden Daniels wins 2023 Heisman Trophy: Why the LSU QB is a worthy recipient

By David Ubben, Chris Vannini, Christopher Kamrani and Dane Brugler

Jayden Daniels won the 2023 Heisman Trophy on Saturday, becoming the second LSU quarterback in five seasons to claim the honor and the third Tigers player in history to win it, joining Joe Burrow and Billy Cannon.

Daniels — who won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Davey O’Brien Award for the nation’s best quarterback Friday — beat out Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. for the Heisman. The finalists finished in that order.

Daniels ended the regular season with 3,812 passing yards and 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions for LSU, which capped the regular season with a 9-3 record. He also added 1,134 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns. LSU became the 12th school with at least three Heisman winners.

Penix capped off his regular season with a Pac-12 championship, concluding a year that saw him pass for 4,218 yards with 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions while adding three rushing scores. Penix became Washington’s highest Heisman finisher at No. 2, topping Steve Emtman (No. 4, 1991).

Nix’s regular season ended with Oregon’s loss to Washington in the Pac-12 title game, but his season totals included 4,145 passing yards with 40 touchdowns to just three interceptions, all while completing a dazzling 77.2 percent of his passes. He also added 228 rushing yards and six scores on the ground.

Harrison recorded 67 catches with 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns as the Buckeyes went 11-1 in the regular season. He added two carries for 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground in 2023. Harrison was Ohio State’s sixth top-four Heisman finisher since 2018, though the Buckeyes haven’t had a player finish in the top two since Troy Smith won in 2006.

Heisman Top 10 results:
1. Jayden Daniels (LSU)
2. Michael Penix Jr. (Wash)
3. Bo Nix (Oregon)
4. Marvin Harrison Jr. (OSU)
5. Jordan Travis (FSU)
7. Jalen Milroe (Alabama)
7. Ollie Gordon II (OK State)
8. Cody Schrader (Mizzou)
9. Blake Corum (Michigan)
10. JJ McCarthy (Mich)
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 10, 2023

Daniels’ case for the Heisman

One of the criticisms facing Daniels at Arizona State was a lack of improvement. But from Year 1 to Year 2 at LSU, he made a leap into the stratosphere. Daniels led the nation in quarterback rating by more than 21 points, tied for the most touchdown passes with 40, and led the nation in yards per attempt (11.7) by more than a full yard. Oh, and he ran for 1,134 yards and 10 scores. Nobody was more productive than Daniels, and the Tigers needed it with a defense that ranked outside the top 100. — David Ubben, college football senior writer

Penix falls short despite standout year

When telling the story of the 2023 college football season, Penix may be the place to start. He led FBS in passing yards for the second consecutive season, and he was the only Heisman finalist to win his conference championship and/or reach the College Football Playoff.

In a season that lacked WOW moments across the sport, Penix came through in the clutch in every big game he played. The late touchdown pass to beat Oregon the first time. The third-down completions to secure a win at Oregon State and the second win over the Ducks. His three touchdowns against Utah. His arm and his beautiful deep passes launched Washington to the last Pac-12 championship, an undefeated regular season and the conference’s last CFP appearance. Oddly enough, while Penix stepped up in every big game, what might have cost him the trophy was some struggling performances against inferior competition. — Chris Vannini, college football senior writer

Why Nix didn’t win

Recency bias can be a thing, especially when you’re part of a historically crowded group of Heisman Trophy finalists. And despite his galaxy-brain numbers put up in 2023, Nix ultimately had his worst and least impressive outing of the season on the biggest stage in 2023.

The Ducks star had the lowest quarterback rating of the season, lowest QBR, lowest completion percentage, lowest amount of yards passing and committed just one of three turnovers all season that allowed the Huskies to get off shaky ground when the Ducks had all the momentum. — Christopher Kamrani, college football staff writer

NFL Draft projections for Heisman finalists

Daniels’ skills have scouts excited

In the eyes of the NFL, no college prospect helped themselves more significantly this season than Daniels. And the Heisman Trophy feels like the cherry on top. His dual-threat skills and ability to create explosive plays are traits that have NFL scouts excited (he accounted for an astounding 90 plays of 20-plus yards in 2023). His continued improvements in his decision-making and processing are why he appeared in the top 10 of my first mock draft and NFL evaluators are running out of reasons why he can’t be an impactful starter at the next level. Over the last 15 years, 10 Heisman winners were also top-10 picks in the NFL Draft and there might be two more in April with Caleb Williams (2022 Heisman winner) and Daniels. — Dane Brugler, NFL Draft writer

Penix’s season won’t go unnoticed

Despite the up-and-down moments throughout the season, Penix was at his best when it mattered the most, which won’t go overlooked throughout the evaluation process. He already put together a strong NFL resume and can add to it that he is the only Heisman finalist that helped his team to an undefeated record (so far) in 2023 and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Viewed as a day two draft pick by NFL teams, Penix has a few things working against him as a prospect, but scouts have a “bet against him at your own risk” type of attitude toward his next-level projection. — Brugler

Nix projected to be Day 2 pick

After his tumultuous three seasons at Auburn, Nix forced fans and scouts to reevaluate their prior opinions with what he accomplished at Oregon. While the Ducks’ offense was tailored to his strengths, Nix always knows where to go with the football on tape and was at his best throwing on the move or creating second-chance plays with his athleticism. Scouts question if he can be the type of creator in the NFL that he was in college, but Nix has the talent to be a pro starter and is projected to come off the board somewhere on Day 2. — Brugler

Harrison could go in top 3

Harrison didn’t finish No. 1 in any major receiving categories, but his inclusion as a Heisman finalist felt like a recognition by voters that they were watching one of the best players in the country every time he took the field. Don’t get me wrong, Harrison was incredibly productive in 2023 as one of only three FBS receivers to reach 1,200 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns (with average quarterback play). But his remarkable talent truly separated him among all non-quarterbacks and deserved to be recognized. That talent is also why he is a projected top-three draft pick in April and arguably one of the best wide receiver prospects in 15 years. — Brugler