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Published Nov 20, 2023
Heisman Check-In: Jayden Daniels takes over as the favorite
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Luke Hubbard  •  Death Valley Insider
Analyst
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@clukehubbard

Jayden Daniels is the best player in all of college football, and there's really nobody else that's close. He currently is No.1 in the nation in total yards, total touchdowns, QB rating, yards per game, yards per play and rushing yards by a QB. Oh, and he's also played the toughest strength of schedule of the Heisman contenders.

Now people can have opinions and opinions are never wrong, unless that opinion is that Jayden Daniels isn't the best player in the country.

Last week against Florida, Daniels became the first player in FBS history to throw for 350+ yards and rush for 200+ yards. This Saturday, he became the second player in SEC history to account for eight touchdowns in a single game.

He is the best player in college football, and he might be having the greatest individual season we've ever seen. He's been getting disrespected in the Heisman race all year, but his 509 yards and eight touchdowns finally caught the attention of the nation.

Heisman Odds
According to DraftKings
PlayerOdds

Jayden Daniels

-125

Bo Nix

+150

Michael Penix Jr.

+600

Marvin Harrison Jr.

+4000

After 11 long weeks, Daniels is finally the favorite to win the most prestigious individual award in the sport.

While the passing numbers from the big three are all pretty close, Daniels has completely separated himself from the competition on the ground. He's within 120 passing yards of Michael Penix, but Daniels has 1,019 more rushing yards than the Washington quarterback. He also has 38 more passing yards, one more passing touchdowns, 886 more rushing yards and five more rushing touchdowns than Bo Nix, who seems to be his biggest rival in this battle.

Heisman Contenders Stats
SOS: Strength of schedule
PlayerJayden DanielsBo NixMichael Penix Jr.

Passing Yards

3,577

3,539

3,695

Passing TD's

36

35

30

Rushing Yards

1,014

128

-5

Rushing TD's

10

5

3

SOS

11

65

26

Fun statistical fact I stumbled upon: 66.7-percent of Bo Nix's passing yards have come after the catch, which is the most in the nation. Daniels is at 49-percent and Penix is at 44-percent.

I've said it a thousand times, and I'll say it a thousand times more. Jayden Daniels is the best player in the country and he 100-percent deserves to win the Heisman trophy in December. At this point, it would be a complete joke if he didn't win it unless he has a complete meltdown against Texas A&M.

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