Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels started LSU's quarterback dynasty; now they're competing in the NFL's prime time

Did Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels play together at LSU? This may be a legitimate question that some are asking, as the quarterbacks of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Washington Commanders are playing in prime time during the NFL double game day in week 3 on Monday Night FootballIt will be the first NFL matchup between two former LSU quarterbacks in 43 years and the first showdown featuring two Heisman Trophy winners from the same school on opposite sidelines.

The answer is no, but they are connected in ways that go beyond the Heisman Trophy. Burrow and Daniels created an elite quarterback dynasty at LSU and created a legacy that appears to have no end in sight.

It all started in 2018, when Burrow – an overlooked backup at Ohio State University – joined LSU's roster in the spring as a graduate transfer, earning him immediate eligibility. He won the starting spot in fall camp and had a respectable, if modest, debut with the Tigers, posting a 10-3 record as a starter and throwing for 2,894 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Few predicted what would happen next. Burrow began the 2019 season as LSU's entrenched starter and finished with arguably the best single-season quarterback performance in college football history. Burrow set FBS records for passing touchdowns (60), total touchdowns (65) and passer rating (202). His 5,671 yards through the air this year are fourth-best in FBS history, and his 76.3% completion percentage was the best in the NCAA.

Burrow won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award and several other offensive trophies. He was also a unanimous All-American and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Burrow led LSU to the first 15-0 record in program history and won a College Football Playoff national championship while passing the ball to players like Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson.

Burrow was selected No. 1 in the 2020 NFL Draft and earned NFL Comeback of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl appearance. But while Burrow was tearing defenses apart in 2019, Daniels was in the midst of his freshman season at Arizona State as a top-40 prospect out of Cajon High School in California.

Daniels was immediately named Arizona State's starter and led the Sun Devils to an 8-5 record as a true freshman, with a win over Justin Herbert-led Oregon in which he threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns being a highlight. But Arizona State played just four games in 2020, and Daniels had a quiet 2021 amid a tumultuous season filled with personnel changes and NCAA investigations into the team for COVID-related recruiting violations.

So Daniels entered the transfer portal in February 2022 and eventually committed to LSU. Daniels led the Tigers to 10 wins in 2022 – coach Brian Kelly's first season with the program – but took things to a new level (at least personally) during his Heisman-winning 2023 season.

He led the NCAA in passing yards with 4,946, and his passer rating of 208 set a new FBS record – surpassing Burrow's record from four years earlier. He also scored 50 total touchdowns and became the first player in FBS history to pass for 12,000 yards and rush for 3,000 yards in his career.

Daniels was selected second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and named Washington's starter after training camp. His successor at LSU, Garrett Nussmeier, might not be far from following in Daniels' footsteps.

Nussmeier has proven to be one of the best pure passers in college football. His 13 touchdowns are second-best in the FBS, behind only Miami's Cam Ward, and he is second in the SEC with 1,247 passing yards. He is also the FBS' best passer with at least 150 attempts, with a 70.6% pass rate.

LSU is well positioned for the future at the quarterback position. The Tigers signed four-star signal-caller Colin Hurley in 2024 and currently have a commitment from Bryce Underwood, the most promising young player in the 2025 class.

The current run, however, began with Burrow, and Monday night brings things full circle between two of the three Heisman Trophy winners in LSU's proud history.