On the eve of handing out college football's biggest prize, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels took time to praise his fellow nominees — and insists the Heisman isn't a definitive race yet.
Daniels and two of the other nominees – Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. – spent their Friday morning at the Raising Canes flagship store in Times Square.
There they helped customers serve some food and signed autographs before answering questions from the media about their seasons.
Daniels recently won the AP Player of the Year award. While that's not a direct indication he'll win the Heisman, only two players haven't done the double: Nebraska defensive tackle Ndomukong Suh and Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
When asked by DailyMail.com if that correlation is in the back of his mind, Daniels modestly replied: It's a blessing to win that award, but honestly it's not.
(L to R) Heisman finalists Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix at Raising Canes Times Sq.
'Because there are three other finalists who are very deserving of the prize. It could go either way, you know. … Mike had a great season, Mike is obviously in the playoffs, Bo what he did at Oregon and Marvin and what he's done at Ohio State.
“So I mean, all the guys are very deserving. I'm just blessed to be able to be here, you know, and celebrate with them.”
Don't confuse Daniels' modesty with the fact that he didn't deserve the award: He finished third in the country in passing yards this year (behind Penix at one and Nix at two), but he was also the best rushing quarterback in America with a total of 1,134 yards.
Penix's 4,218 yards through the air led the nation, but his 33 touchdowns and nine interceptions left something to be desired. Still, he is the second favorite to receive the award after helping Washington to an undefeated season and the College Football Playoff.
Nix is the college equivalent of a career journeyman. After four seasons at Auburn, he transferred to the Pacific Northwest and was dominant for the Ducks this year – with 4,145 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Finally, there is Harrison Jr., who is widely considered one of the top three prospects in next year's NFL draft if he chooses to leave Ohio State. He caught 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns for the Buckeyes.
The three finalists all came to work a 'shift' behind the counter of the chicken shop
The three quarterbacks gathered there all had something in common: They all transferred to the school they attend now. Daniels used to be at Arizona State, Penix was at Indiana, and as previously mentioned Nix was an Auburn Tiger.
Now they are all here with new teams and are a shining example of how successful the transfer portal can be.
DailyMail.com asked each of them if they envisioned themselves being so successful when choosing their new school.
Penix responded, “For me, I would say, yeah, I mean, I've seen a lot of great things whenever I've visited Washington.
'And I had a lot of confidence in the coaching staff and once I met the players and stuff there, I had a lot of confidence in our abilities and in the ability to win a football match.
“So yeah, I would definitely say I felt like we were going to do great things. But you know, to be on this stage, like I said, I'm blessed.
“One thing I always wanted to do was win football games. And once I got to Washington, I was able to do that.
“So, you know, that was always the main goal for me, but to be standing here, I'm just super blessed and excited.”
Michael Penix said he chose Washington because he had “confidence” in their abilities
Nix said success was specifically why he chose Oregon: “Oregon is one of those universities where I felt like they would have the opportunity to compete at a high level every year and that they would have really good players around me having and coaching.
“When I came out of Auburn, my transition, I felt like Oregon was the place where I could still go and achieve all my goals.”
“Like Mike said, we're just blessed to be here,” Daniels responded. “When I entered the portal, I obviously wanted to look for schools that could compete and that was the opportunity that was presented to me.
“So from there it's just like when I went there, the guys they had and the coaching staff, just the opportunity to go there and be in a position like this, you know how I couldn't pass up that opportunity. '
The three quarterbacks all picked each other's Heisman moments: Penix's four-touchdown game over Oregon, Nix's six-touchdown breakout against Arizona State, and Daniels' game against Florida – where he threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns while also rushed for a monstrous 234 yards. and a few scores.
Daniels won the AP Player of the Year – usually an indicator that he will win the Heisman Trophy
Penix's next stop after his weekend in New York is a semifinal against Texas in the College Football Playoff. For Nix and Daniels? The solution is not that simple.
All were unable to make the playoffs and had non-CFP bowl games to attend: Oregon plays Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl while LSU faces Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl (formerly the Outback Bowl).
Nowadays, players about to leave for the NFL Draft often skip bowl games to avoid the risk of injury.
Neither Nix nor Daniels have committed to playing in their respective games yet, and they both revealed their thought process behind the decision to reporters.
“I think it all goes back to, you know, competing with your teammates and being with them for the last time,” Nix revealed. “I don't want to end our season on a negative note, and so, you know, after what happened last week, I just want a chance to play again and a chance to go out there and compete with those guys, because they I've earned the right to play in a really good bowl game.
“They've earned the right to play as a group one more time and I don't think I'm necessarily entitled to what I'm being given. So I just know I have to work for everything.
“If that means playing another game, I'm happy to do that. … I had the opportunity to play another college football game and I know I'm going to miss this period of my life. So I just want to make the most of every game I can.”
Nix says the chance to play games in college is a 'period of my life that I'm going to miss'
“You need to weigh the pros and cons and talk to your family to see what is best for you and your future,” Daniels responded. “And then you talk to your coaches and stuff like that, so that's what the process has been for me to come to a decision.
“So right now I'm just trying to enjoy the moment here with these guys and their family, you know, enjoy what we're doing and after this is all over, I'll probably just sit down with my family and go from there.”
The Heisman Trophy ceremony takes place on Saturday evening at 8:00 PM ET on ESPN.
