Bayou Boys: The Pratt & Daniels Takeover
Jayden Daniels
Quarterback Jayden Daniels was a highly touted four-star player when he came out of high school after graduating early from high school in late 2018. Although the California native received several offers from big-time schools like the University of California (CAL), Utah, and UCLA, Daniels opted to travel eastward and continue his career on the gridiron at Arizona State University as a Sun Devil.
Daniels joined recently hired coach Herman “Herm” Edwards at ASU. Daniels was selected to lead the offense over fellow recruit Joey Yellen. He would become the first true freshman starting QB in program history and shine in his freshman season. Jayden was named a freshman All-American by ESPN and led Arizona State to an 8-5 record that included a Sun Bowl win versus the FSU Seminoles and an MVP-winning performance in the season finale.
After spending three years with the Sun Devils, Daniels decided it was time to move on and find a better opportunity for himself. After Jayden announced that he would enter the transfer portal in 2022, it became clear he’d be a sought-after target. Daniels’ transfer came amidst investigations and coaching losses within ASU, but the star QB has not shied away from bringing his talents to higher competition.
LSU and Daniels developed a chemistry that allowed the dual-threat player to commit to playing under coach Brian Kelly and moving to the boot where he was named the starter last year as part of a talented quarterback room. Daniels spoke on his transfer process last year and said, “Just the opportunity to come here, an opportunity that presented itself to come in and compete at the highest level against the best conference in college football, the SEC West. So to be able to go here, be around the talent that matches where I’m trying to go, I’m trying to be. So that’s the reason why I chose to come here.”
In the Tigers’ first season with Kelly and Daniels at head, they notched numerous achievements for the program by earning just their second win versus Alabama since 2011 and their first since the 2019 National Championship squad. LSU secured the SEC West title and picked up their tenth win of the season in 2022 with a 63-7 blowout bowl game victory against Purdue.
Fast forward one year; LSU is in the thick of the SEC race again three weeks into the 2023 campaign. Daniels is a competitor on the football field, and it shows as he finds himself a Heisman Award contender. The West Coast dynamic playmaker has found his untapped potential in the SEC and is making himself a true Bayou Boy of the South.
- Jason Watson Jr. @JWatsonJr__
Michael Pratt
Quarterback Michael Pratt has bayou roots, and while he doesn't display it often he definitely has that "Florida Swag" in his attitude on the field. Growing up in Boca Raton, FL and attending Boca Raton High School until winding up at Deerfield Beach High School his senior year graduating as a three-star recruit. Pratt had offers from schools like Western Michigan, Toledo, Yale, and Harvard but opted to keep his talents in the south and committed to Tulane, even beating out his presumed favorite Florida Atlantic. Pratt wound up at Tulane as he felt the school offered the best of both worlds for academics and football.
Just 3 games into his freshman season Pratt became the starter for the Green Wave and finished off the year going 5-4 and eventually losing against Nevada in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. His second year left a lot to be desired finishing at an abysmal 2-10 but still posting 21 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions with the only knock being his completion percentage sitting close to dipping to 55% for the 2021 season. Pratt turned something on going into the 2022 season, and whatever it was, it worked.
Pratt threw for 27 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions, adding in another 478 rushing yards and notching 10 scores on the ground. While a long-shot, he even heard whispers of the Heisman, but he would have to double those numbers coming from a 2-10 year to get serious consideration there. Yet still, it had to make Pratt realize he could be whatever kind of quarterback he wanted to be, but knew the one he needed to be. The one thing you want to see in a QB with professional aspirations is progression, and looking at his stats it is no secret he has done that every year at Tulane. In 2022 Pratt became the best "NFL" version of himself he could be bringing Tulane to the Cotton Bowl and eventually beating USC in a thriller of a game.
Pratt only has one game under his belt prior to his injury, but in that one game he impressed and turned around and doubters of yet another year of success and progress. Pratt posted a 93% completion rate for nearly 300 yards and 4 touchdowns with zero interceptions and only one incompletion. Since then, Pratt has had to watch from the sidelines while he recovered from a knee injury. Pratt has earned the patience of Tulane fans to come back stronger, turning down multiple NIL deals to leave the program but he chose to stay.
Now we sit here and wait, wait until Pratt returns against another Louisiana school in Nicholls. The Wave's defense held down the team and K12 did enough to hand the team back to Pratt still getting Top 25 votes, and sitting at 2-1. The injury may have been a set back, but Tulane still has the chance to show the world they are truly a football school that can produce an NFL ready quarterback in Pratt.
-Ethen Meyers
@BeInTheKneaux
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