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Daniels Named SEC Offensive Player of the Year by League’s CoachesDaniels Named SEC Offensive Player of the Year by League’s Coaches

Daniels Named SEC Offensive Player of the Year by League’s Coaches

BATON ROUGE – Jayden Daniels is going to need a bigger trophy room as the senior LSU quarterback has been named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by the league coaches, the conference office announced on Wednesday.

The honor is the latest accolade for the San Bernadino, Calif., native as this week alone, he’s been named as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy as well as being selected as the SEC’s Offensive Player by the Associated Press. Daniels will be in Baltimore on Thursday to accept the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the top quarterback in college football.

College football’s most exciting player has also been named first-team All-SEC from the AP and the SEC Coaches as well as being a finalist for three other national awards – Walter Camp National Player of the Year, the Davey O’Brien and the Maxwell Award.

Daniels joins Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow as LSU’s SEC Offensive Player of the Year Award recipients. The SEC divided its SEC Player of the Year Awards into offensive and defensive categories beginning in 2003. Past SEC Player of the Year Award winners include Ken Kavanaugh (1939), Billy Cannon (1958-59), Jerry Stovall (1962), Charles Alexander (1977) and Wendell Davis (1987).

Daniels put together the most outstanding season in college football in 2023, leading the nation in total offense with 412.2 yards per game, as well as passing TDs (40), total TDs (50) and rushing yards by a quarterback (1,134). His pass efficiency rating of 208.01 is the highest in FBS history.

His 412.2 total yards per game are more than 85 FBS teams and his 50 total TDs are more than 91 teams scored this year.

Daniels also joined Heisman winner Johnny Manziel as the only 3,500-yard passers-1,000-yard rushers in SEC history. Daniels completed 236-of-327 passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

Daniels rushed and passed for a TD in seven games this year and he reached the 100-yard mark four times, including 163 against Alabama, 130 against Missouri and 120 against Texas A&M.

In consecutive weeks in November, Daniels set the SEC record for total yards with 606 against Florida when he passed for 372 yards and rushed for 234 yards becoming the first player in FBS history to pass for 350 yards and rush for 200 yards in a game. The following week he tied the LSU record for TDs in a game with eight (6 passing, 2 rushing) in the win over Georgia State.

Daniels accounted for at least four TDs in nine games and joined Burrow as the only players in LSU history to reach the 500-yard mark three times in a season. Daniels had 513 yards against Ole Miss and 509 yards against Georgia State. In all Daniels topped the 400-yard mark six times in 2023.

2023 SEC Coaches' Postseason Awards

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Jayden Daniels, LSU
    Defensive Player of the Year: Dallas Turner, Alabama
    Special Teams Player of the Year: Will Reichard, Alabama
    Freshman of the Year: Caleb Downs, Alabama
    Jacobs Blocking Trophy: Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia
    Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Brady Cook, Missouri (previously announced)
    Coach of the Year: Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri

SEC Player of the Year History

  • SEC PLAYER OF THE YEAR

    1933 – HB Beattie Feathers, Tennessee
    1934 – TB Dixie Howell, Alabama
    1935 – E Willie Geny, Vanderbilt
    1936 – C Walter Gilbert, Auburn
    1937 – C Carl Hinkle, Vanderbilt
    1938 – HB George Cafego, Tennessee
    1939 – E Ken Kavanaugh, LSU
    1939 – WB Bob Foxx, Tennessee
    1940 – E Erwin Elrod, Mississippi State
    1941 – FB Jack Jenkins, Vanderbilt
    1942 – TB Frank Sinkwich, Georgia
    1943 – No Selection Made
    1944 – HB Tom McWilliams, Mississippi State
    1945 – TB Harry Gilmer, Alabama
    1946 – HB Charley Trippi, Georgia
    1947 – TB Charlie Conerly, Ole Miss
    1948 – QB John Rauch, Georgia
    1949 – QB Travis Tidwell, Auburn
    1950 – QB Babe Parilli, Kentucky
    1951 – QB Bill Wade, Vanderbilt
    1952 – QB Jackie Parker, Mississippi State
    1953 – QB Jackie Parker, Mississippi State
    1954 – HB Art Davis, Mississippi State
    1955 – TB John Majors, Tennessee
    1956 – TB John Majors, Tennessee
    1957 – T Lou Michaels, Kentucky
    1958 – HB Billy Cannon, LSU
    1959 – HB Billy Cannon, LSU
    1960 – QB Jake Gibbs, Ole Miss
    1961 – QB Pat Trammell, Alabama
    1962 – HB Jerry Stovall, LSU
    1963 – QB Jimmy Sidle, Auburn
    1964 – FB Tucker Frederickson, Auburn
    1965 – QB Steve Sloan, Alabama
    1966 – QB Steve Spurrier, Florida
    1967 – E Bob Goodridge, Vanderbilt
    1968 – S Jake Scott, Georgia
    1969 – QB Archie Manning, Ole Miss
    1970 – QB Pat Sullivan, Auburn
    1971 – TB Johnny Musso, Alabama
    1972 – QB Terry Davis, Alabama
    1973 – TB Sonny Collins, Kentucky
    1974 – QB Rockey Felker, Mississippi State
    1975 – FB Jimmy DuBose, Florida
    1976 – QB Ray Goff, Georgia
    1977 – TB Charles Alexander, LSU
    1978 – TB Willie McClendon, Georgia
    1979 – RB Joe Cribbs, Auburn
    1980 – RB Herschel Walker, Georgia
    1981 – RB Herschel Walker, Georgia
    1982 – RB Herschel Walker, Georgia
    1983 – DT Reggie White, Tennessee
    1984 – QB Kerwin Bell, Florida
    1985 – RB Bo Jackson, Auburn
    1986 – LB Cornelius Bennett, Alabama
    1987 – WR Wendell Davis, LSU
    1988 – DT Tracy Rocker, Auburn
    1989 – RB Emmitt Smith, Florida
    1990 – QB Shane Matthews, Florida
    1991 – QB Shane Matthews, Florida
    1992 – RB Garrison Hearst, Georgia
    1993 – QB Heath Shuler, Tennessee
    1994 – QB Jay Barker, Alabama
    1995 – QB Danny Wuerffel, Florida
    1996 – QB Danny Wuerffel, Florida
    1997 – QB Peyton Manning, Tennessee
    1998 – QB Tim Couch, Kentucky
    1999 – RB Shaun Alexander, Alabama
    2000 – RB Rudi Johnson, Auburn
    2001 – QB Rex Grossman, Florida
    2002 – DE David Pollack, Georgia

    SEC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

    2003 – QB Eli Manning, Ole Miss
    2004 – QB Jason Campbell, Auburn
    2005 – QB Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
    2006 – RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
    2007 – RB Darren McFadden, Arkansas
    2008 – QB Tim Tebow, Florida
    2009 – QB Tim Tebow, Florida
    2010 – QB Cam Newton, Auburn
    2011 – RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
    2012 – QB Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M
    2013 – RB Tre Mason, Auburn
    2014 – WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
    2015 – RB Derrick Henry, Alabama
    2016 – QB Jalen Hurts, Alabama
    2017 – RB Kerryon Johnson, Auburn
    2018 – QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama
    2019 – QB Joe Burrow, LSU
    2020 – WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
    2021 – QB Bryce Young, Alabama
    2022 – QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee
    2023 – QB Jayden Daniels, LSU

    SEC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

    2003 – DT Chad Lavalais, LSU
    2004 – DE David Pollack, Georgia
    2005 – LB DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
    2006 – LB Patrick Willis, Ole Miss
    2007 – DT Glenn Dorsey, LSU
    2008 – DB Eric Berry, Tennessee
    2009 – LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
    2010 – DB Patrick Peterson, LSU
    2011 – DB Morris Claiborne, LSU
    2012 – DL Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
    2013 – LB C.J. Mosley, Alabama; DE Michael Sam, Missouri
    2014 – DL Shane Ray, Missouri
    2015 – LB Reggie Ragland, Alabama
    2016 – DL Jonathan Allen, Alabama
    2017 – LB Roquan Smith, Georgia
    2018 – LB Josh Allen, Kentucky
    2019 – DT Derrick Brown, Auburn
    2020 – DB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
    2021 – LB Will Anderson, Alabama
    2022 – LB Will Anderson, Alabama
    2023 – LB Dallas Turner, Alabama

    SEC SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

    2004 – RB Carnell Williams, Auburn
    2005 – RS Skyler Green, LSU
    2006 – PK John Vaughn, Auburn
    2007 – RS Felix Jones, Arkansas
    2008 – RS Brandon James, Florida
    2009 – RS Javier Arenas, Alabama
    2010 – RS Patrick Peterson, LSU
    2011 – RS Joe Adams, Arkansas
    2012 – PK Caleb Sturgis, Florida; RS Ace Sanders, South Carolina
    2013 – KR Christion Jones, Alabama
    2014 – AP/RS Marcus Murphy, Missouri
    2015 – DB Evan Berry, Tennessee
    2016 – PK Daniel Carlson, Auburn
    2017 – PK Daniel Carlson, Auburn
    2018 – P Braden Mann, Texas A&M
    2019 – PR/KR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
    2020 – P Jake Camarda, Georgia
    2021 – KR Jameson Williams, Alabama; KR Velus Jones Jr., Tennessee
    2022 – P Jack Podlesny, Georgia
    2023 – PK Will Reichard, Alabama