by LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
While LSU's team just finished off another mighty round of Coach Flint's grueling conditioning program, Head Coach Brian Kelly gave his players a few weeks off before the start of fall practice......but that doesn't mean everyone on LSU's roster is resting on their laurels.
Already set for a trip home to visit his family in San Bernardino as well as train with a familiar pro-equipped group, transfer Tigers' QB Jayden Daniels made a bold move which could very well give him an edge during the QB Battle this fall.
Inviting top receivers Kayshon Boutte, Jack Bech, Malik Nabers and Kyren Lacy across the country to the heart of Southern California, LSU's most likely targeted pass catchers are all a few thousand miles away from Myles Brennan or Garrett Nussmeier....not only training alongside Daniels, these Tigers are getting to see the 2022 transfer in a whole new light....away from the intensity of expectation.
Comfortable on the West Coast, due to its distance from the pressure of LSU's QB battle, Daniels is able to really solidify his bond with the cream of Coach Hankton's WR crop, perhaps feeling more at ease on his home turf.
Showing these Louisiana boys his Southern Cali roots, possibly introducing his family and their home while also taking his teammates for a night to the movies to start their weekend, Daniels' spontaneous West Coast training program could absolutely play a role in deciding LSU's 2022 starting quarterback.
Also inviting offensive lineman Kardell Thomas (who we spoke with in preparation for this article; catch our live stream this weekend), it appears the former Arizona State QB understands what is needed to win this job:
Finesse.
Orchestrated by Daniels, this West Coast training program stands as a multi-layered public push for the QB job, and a clever one at that. After such a bold chess move, LSU's QB room may be a little more tense when Daniels returns, everyone knowing the race is well and truly on.
Far away from the influence of other Tiger QBs, as LSU wide outs gain intimate knowledge of Daniels behind the scenes & away from the locker room, witnessing how much work he is willing to put in on the practice field away from Coach Kelly's staff, we could be witnessing LSU's best receivers and their transfer QB laying the groundwork for LSU's 2022 offense.
Following a period of uncertainty regarding his chances at QB (after Spring), Jayden Daniels knew he had to make something happen.....and taking control of the situation, inviting the bulk of LSU's wide receivers to Los Angeles, proving he's willing to potentially out-work his peers.....these decisions could alter the course of his LSU future.
Before and during his LSU arrival, there were rumors of Daniels falling out with members of the team at Arizona State, in fact, when his transfer to LSU became official, his locker was trashed by his former teammates.
Since his arrival in Baton Rouge, most of his fellow Tigers didn't really know what to say about him, except that "he was fast, a baller..."....there were some muted moments as he gained his footing in a new program, conference, coach and team.
Now, it seems as if Daniels just found a way to edge Garrett or Myles and establish those relationships on & off the field simultaneously in multiple gridiron theatres:
If he can achieve his goals from this next week, growing a chemistry and bond alongside LSU's best receivers and one of their more dynamic offensive linemen, Daniels could really set himself apart in the hearts and minds of LSU's most explosive offensive weapons & more experienced O-linemen.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
@LonnPhillips
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