Jayden Daniels Explains Unselfish Reason for Not Testing at NFL Combine

The LSU quarterback opted out of on-field work at the NFL scouting combine.
Jayden Daniels Explains Unselfish Reason for Not Testing at NFL Combine
Jayden Daniels Explains Unselfish Reason for Not Testing at NFL Combine /
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In 2023, most of the spotlight afforded to LSU shone on quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Shouldering high expectations—the Tigers opened ’23 ranked fifth in the country, their highest preseason ranking since 2016—LSU couldn’t quite take the next step after winning the SEC West in 2022. However, Daniels broke out and won the Heisman Trophy with one of the most statistically dominant seasons in college football history.

The performance caused Daniels’s NFL draft stock to soar—and when asked Friday why he declined to participate in on-field work at the NFL scouting combine, he told reporters he wanted to shed light on his teammates at the Tigers’ forthcoming pro day.

“They’ve worked so hard to get their opportunity in front of everybody and go out there and showcase what they can do,” Daniels said. “It wasn’t about me, it was about my teammates.”

Daniels and his Tigers teammates will showcase their skills at LSU’s pro day on March 27 in Baton Rouge, La.

Daniels is expected to be one of the top picks in the 2024 NFL draft as one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects alongside USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye.


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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .