NEW YORK — Jayden Daniels was too good to be overlooked.
LSU’s dazzling dual-threat quarterback won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first player since 2016 to win college football’s most prestigious player of the year award as part of a team that did not play for a conference championship.
The fifth-year player, who transferred from Arizona State to LSU in 2022, received 503 first-place votes and 2,029 points after accounting for 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 total yards in just 12 regular-season games.
“This is a dream come true,” Daniels said as he started his acceptance speech.
Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. was the the runner-up with 292 first-place votes and 1,701 points, and Oregon’s Bo Nix was third (51, 885), putting transfer quarterbacks in each of the top three spots. Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finished fourth (20, 352).