Arizona State junior quarterback Jayden Daniels is expected to officially be added to the NCAA transfer portal by the end of Thursday, two people informed of his decision told Sun Devil Source. His request to pursue the transfer is already being processed by ASU and multiple members of the team’s coaching staff have been made aware of the decision.
People close to Daniels have been in contact with other Power 5 schools in recent weeks, including other Pac-12 teams, in an effort to gauge his options prior to his entrance into the transfer portal.
It is unclear whether Daniels would seriously consider withdrawing from the portal at a later date to remain at ASU this season.
Daniels has started three years for the Sun Devils, having taken the reins as a freshman after he joined the program as the No. 2 dual threat quarterback prospect in his class.
The junior announced on a video for social media on Dec. 2 that he’d be returning to ASU for the 2022 season, but has decided to at least explore his options as the team has undergone a dramatic coaching upheaval amid an ongoing NCAA review, losing both of its coordinators among other assistants.
Daniels was stellar as a freshman, notching 17 passing touchdowns to just two interceptions as he earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors, and was again able to play efficiently in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, picking up nine total touchdowns against just one pick.
That ability to limit turnovers defined Daniels’ first two seasons, but he regressed significantly in that category in 2021 as he threw just 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions and ASU’s passing game was often the limiting factor in its offense. Still, Daniels excelled on the ground with 710 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Daniels’ decision to pursue his transfer options is another significant blow to ASU’s program under the leadership of fifth-year coach Herm Edwards.
ASU elected not to pursue Spencer Rattler, the top quarterback prospect in the 2019 class out of Pinnacle High School in Phoenix and former Oklahoma starter who entered the transfer portal this offseason, after Edwards met with Daniels and his mother following last season. Rattler had serious interest in ASU according to multiple program sources, but has since moved on to South Carolina.
The Sun Devils’ top returning backup at quarterback is sophomore Trenton Bourguet, who completed 7 of 10 passes with one touchdown in 2021. Freshmen quarterbacks Daylin McLemore and Finn Collins are expected to return, neither of whom played in 2021, and ASU will introduce Alabama sophomore quarterback transfer Paul Tyson and former three-star Bennett Meredith as other options at the position this year.
