“Gonna be the steal of the draft” - Kirk Herbstreit names SEC QB to watch out for over Pac-12's Caleb Williams, ACC's Drake Maye

During an episode of ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ on Friday, December 8, 2023, ESPN’s College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit made a bold prediction about a quarterback in the upcoming NFL draft.

While Caleb Williams of the Pac-12 and Drake Maye of the ACC are garnering attention, Kirk Herbstreit highlighted an SEC quarterback as the player to keep an eye on.

He called the LSU Tigers QB ‘the steal of the draft,’ noting that Jayden Daniels' unique style sets him apart in an NFL increasingly focused on quarterbacks.

"I think Jayden Daniels is gonna be the steal of the draft..Everybody is gonna talk about Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, but the guy to look out for is Jayden Daniels," Herbstreit said.

Kirk Herbstreit, an alumnus of Ohio State, made his remarks on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ during the Friday live broadcast.

Herbstreit cautioned that, although Drake Maye (North Carolina, QB) and Caleb Williams (Trojans, QB) may impress during their workouts and combines, Jayden Daniels could emerge as a sleeper pick for teams without the top two draft selections.

The former college football player ended on a hopeful note, wishing for Daniels’ return to the LSU Tigers next year. However, Kirk Herbstreit also admitted the prospect of seeing Daniels play in the NFL, especially under Coach Bill Belichick’s guidance and alongside a skilled defense, would be thrilling.

Why does Kirk Herbstreit believe Jayden Daniels lit up the 2023 College Football?

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There were three standout quarterbacks from the 2023 college football season. Let's begin with Jayden Daniels. He is a former Cajon High School (California) star. He finished the 2023 season with over 3,800 yards and 40 touchdowns in 12 games, with a remarkable Quarterback Rating (QBR) of 95.7, ranking first in the league.

Next, we have Drake Maye from North Carolina. Originally a four-star prospect, Maye committed to playing college football at Alabama before deciding to play for North Carolina instead.

Maye, 21, had a decent 2023 season, playing 12 games and throwing for 3,608 yards and scoring 24 touchdowns. However, he also had a higher interception rate than some of the other quarterbacks, throwing nine interceptions throughout the season. Despite this, Maye had a QBR of 78.8, ranking him 14th in the league.

Finally, we have Caleb Williams, who previously played for the Oklahoma Sooners as a freshman in 2021 before transferring to USC.

Williams, 22, had an impressive season in 2023, throwing for 3,633 yards and scoring 30 touchdowns while keeping his interception rate relatively low, with only five interceptions in 12 games. Caleb Williams' QBR was 82.3, ranking him 11th in the league.