LSU QB Jayden Daniels, is Progressing

BATON ROUGE, La. — You could see the feet moving, moving, moving. That’s how Brian Kelly wanted it. Jayden Daniels’ feet were moving so quickly you might even miss it, little baby steps so subtle but rapid, each half a second. Much quicker than even three weeks earlier against Florida State.

Daniels looked right, looked center, looked left and kept his eyes upfield in the pocket Saturday against New Mexico. That alone was the victory. That’s why this play jumped out to Kelly. Daniels made his way to the fourth read and decisively threw a line drive 20 yards through a tight spot to Jaray Jenkins in the red zone.

“Those are the kind of things you’re looking for in terms of development of a quarterback,” Kelly said.

It stood out because it highlighted many little things Kelly and LSU quarterback coach Joe Sloan have worked on with Daniels. They want him to go through progressions more before taking off running and to be more confident in his throws. And they recently found something in his footwork that Kelly believes played a part in Daniels’ best game this season.

“We were really firm on fast feet and then slowing down the thought process,” Kelly said. “We felt like when his feet are slow, it puts his mind moving too fast because he feels like the opposite has occurred.”

Daniels enters his first SEC road test this weekend with fascinating and polarizing aspects.