Jayden Daniels Wins the 2023 Heisman Trophy

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*(CNN) — Jayden Daniels, the quarterback for Louisiana State College, was named the winner of the 2023 Heisman Trophy Saturday night.

One in every of 4 finalists, Daniels edged out fellow quarterbacks Bo Nix of Oregon and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., in addition to Ohio State vast receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. to win probably the most coveted particular person award in faculty soccer.

Daniels joined LSU after transferring from Arizona State College in 2022. He’s the third participant at school historical past to win the award and the primary since Joe Burrow in 2019.

“This can be a dream come true,” Daniels mentioned after his win, thanking his coaches, teammates, and household, and telling his fellow finalists he would look ahead to seeing them on Sundays.

The 22-year-old completed his senior season at LSU with 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions whereas including 1,134 speeding yards and an extra 10 touchdowns on the bottom.

On his strategy to a Heisman-trophy-winning season, Daniels, amongst different issues, led the nation in complete offense with 4,946 yards in 12 video games, together with an NCAA-record 208.01 passer score.

In November, the San Bernardino, California native grew to become the primary participant in FBS historical past to move for greater than 350 yards and rush for greater than 200 yards in a single sport, following a victory towards Florida. Within the sport, he set the report for complete offense with 606 yards, together with 234 speeding yards and 372 passing yards.

Daniels adopted his record-setting night time by tying the varsity’s report for probably the most touchdowns in a sport every week later when he recorded eight touchdowns, six passing and two speeding, in a victory over Georgia State.

Along with his 50 touchdowns on the season, Daniels etched his title as one in all solely 5 gamers in SEC historical past to perform the feat, becoming a member of Burrow (63), Florida’s Tim Tebow (55), Auburn’s Cam Newton (51) and Alabama’s Bryce Younger (50) – all of whom had been named Heisman Trophy winners.

Along with the Heisman Trophy, Daniels has additionally been named the winner of the 2023 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, AP School Soccer Participant of the Yr, the Walter Camp and Davey O’Brien Nationwide Quarterback awards following the season during which he led the No. 13 Tigers to a 9-3 report and a berth within the 2024 ReliaQuest Bowl.

The Heisman is the head of particular person achievement for a university soccer participant. From legendary quarterbacks like Matt Leinart and Roger Staubach to explosive operating backs resembling Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders, the Heisman Trophy winners checklist reads like a who’s who of school soccer.

Right here’s all the pieces you must know in regards to the different 2023 finalists.

Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

A soccer profession was at all times a chance for Marvin Harrison Jr. given who his dad is.

His father is Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame vast receiver Marvin Harrison and the teen has carried the ‘explosive, dominant vast receiver’ household tag on with aplomb.

The six-foot-four, 21-year-old has loved a fruitful 2023 marketing campaign, ending with 1,211 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns – he’s tied for second throughout the nation for many landing receptions.

In his three seasons with the Buckeyes, he has been some of the productive pass-catching weapons in all of school soccer, vaulting himself into some lofty firm in this system’s historical past books.

In accordance with Ohio State, Harrison Jr. is sixth all-time in receptions (155), sixth in receiving yards (2,613), first in 100-yard video games (15) and third in landing catches (31) in program historical past.

On Friday, he gained the Fred Biletnikoff Award – given to the most effective vast receiver in faculty soccer – and has already been awarded the Large Ten Convention’s Offensive Participant of the Yr and Extensive Receiver of the Yr gongs.

He’s the primary participant to have a number of 1,000-yard receiving seasons for Ohio State. His streak of eight consecutive video games with a landing reception and eight 100-yard video games this season are each college information.

If Harrison Jr. gained Saturday night, he would have been the eighth Heisman winner in Ohio State historical past, giving the Buckeyes probably the most in faculty soccer.

Though he reportedly stays undecided about declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft, Harrison Jr. has established himself because the cream of the crop amongst vast receivers within the faculty sport.

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon

Bo Nix peaked proper on the final second.

In his fifth and ultimate season of eligibility as a member of the Oregon Geese, Nix has loved his greatest season but, main his program to a No. 8 rating with an 11-2 report and a spot within the Fiesta Bowl towards the Liberty Flames.

In his second yr with Oregon, the 23-year-old quarterback leads the nation along with his 77.2% completion share, that means he’s inside touching distance of Mac Jones’ NCAA single-season report of 77.4% he set in 2020 with one ultimate sport remaining.

Nix ranks second nationally in most passing statistics in faculty soccer – together with passing yards per sport, passing yards, passer score and complete touchdowns – as he completes “one of many best seasons in program historical past,” in accordance with the Oregon web site.

Nix’s Heisman nomination was the end result of an skilled faculty soccer profession after beforehand transferring from Auburn to Oregon.

Though Nix – probably the most skilled beginning quarterback in NCAA historical past with 60 profession begins – has solely performed two seasons with Oregon, he ranks third in program historical past in profession passing touchdowns (69), third in speeding touchdowns by a quarterback (20), fifth in completions (630), fifth in passing yards (7,738) and the Heisman finalist is tied for seventh in wins (21).

He was trying to grow to be the second member of the Geese to win the award after Marcus Mariota did so in 2014.

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington

One more switch scholar – arriving from Indiana in late December 2021 – Michael Penix Jr. has helped lead the Washington Huskies on a exceptional cost.

The Huskies completed with a 13-0 report, the Pac-12 Championship to their title and a spot within the School Soccer Playoff, the place they face off towards the Texas Longhorns on January 1 within the Sugar Bowl.

All of the whereas, Penix Jr. has led from the entrance, masterminding the group’s offense along with his large arm, ending because the nation’s chief in passing yards. Penix Jr. completed with 4,218 passing yards and 33 passing touchdowns in 2023.

He boasts a 24-2 report in his two seasons because the group’s starter as he seems to be to offer Washington its third-ever claimed Nationwide Championship.

Penix Jr. hoped to grow to be the primary Heisman Trophy winner in Washington’s historical past. He joins Steve Emtman – who completed fourth in 1991 voting – as the one Huskies to be named a finalist.