LSU Gold

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

by Michael Bonnette
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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