Arizona State QB Jayden Daniels to pursue transfer
Another big-name quarterback has hit the transfer portal.
Jayden Daniels, a three-year starter at Arizona State, officially put his name into the portal on Thursday, according to Rivals.com. Daniels announced in early December that he would be back at ASU for his senior season in lieu of entering the NFL draft. A few months later, Daniels changed course and opted to pursue a transfer.
With nearly all of the other top quarterback transfers choosing new schools since the end of the regular season, Daniels vaults to the top of the crop in terms of available players at the position. JT Daniels, who started his career at USC before spending two seasons at Georgia, is the only other available quarterback with significant starting experience at the Power Five level.
Jayden Daniels was a highly coveted four-star recruit when he chose Arizona State out of the class of 2019. He became the starter as a true freshman and quickly flashed his potential. Daniels was up-and-down over the course of his career, but there’s no doubting his talent.
Overall, Daniels threw for 6,025 yards, 32 touchdowns and 13 interceptions at ASU. He also rushed for 1,288 yards and 13 scores.
Without Daniels, Arizona State has very limited experience at the position. The school added Alabama transfer Paul Tyson and also returns sophomore Trenton Bourguet, Daniels’ backup last season. Freshmen Daylin McLemore and Finn Collins are also on the roster, as is three-star 2022 recruit Bennett Meredith.
More Arizona State dysfunction
Daniels’ decision to leave comes at a time of turmoil for the ASU program under coach Herm Edwards.
Arizona State is caught up in an ongoing NCAA investigation stemming from the school allegedly hosting and contacting recruits during dead periods amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Five coaches from Edwards’ staff have left the program because of the investigation, including offensive coordinator Zak Hill and defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce.
Edwards, 67, is entering his fifth season as Arizona State’s head coach. In four years under Edwards, ASU has a 25-18 overall record with a 17-14 mark in Pac-12 play. In 2021, ASU finished with an 8-5 record.
Before being brought back into the coaching ranks by ASU athletic director Ray Anderson (Edwards’ former agent), Edwards served as an NFL analyst for ESPN and hadn’t coached since 2008.
With the NCAA investigation ongoing — and the potential for Level I violations looming — ASU’s recruiting suffered mightily. ASU finished last in the Pac-12 in the Rivals.com team rankings for the class of 2022.
