247Sports takes a look at what Arizona State is getting with their new QB commit, San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon standout Jayden Daniels…

Profile: Jayden Daniels

Position: Quarterback

Location: San Bernardino (Calif.) Cajon

Height: 6-3

Weight: 170 pounds

Recruiting: This was a pretty incredible come from behind win for Arizona State to land Daniels. ASU locked up two quarterbacks early in the process and really wasn’t involved with Daniels until early November. By that time, he had already taken official visits to Cal, UCLA and Utah and looked like a strong lean to the Utes. Daniels took an official visit in mid-November but at the time, told us it was mostly just for fun and to experience and see something new. Things changed following that trip and ASU became a serious player in his recruitment. The chance to compete for playing time with Manny Wilkins graduating played a big role as well as his relationship with the Sun Devil coaching staff. Antonio Pierce had kept in touch with Daniels and OC Rob Likens and Herm Edwards made a very favorable impression as well. Daniels said he really clicked with the players and coaches on his visit, had a great comfort level, liked the location and as mentioned, as an early grad, liked the chance to step in and compete for playing time right away.

What to Like: Daniels has made huge improvements over the last couple of years and still isn’t close to peaking. He was a four-year starter at Cajon and was just 5-10 as a freshman but grew and developed physical between his sophomore and junior years. He’s arguably the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks and can beat a defense with his arm or his legs. He’s one of the most prolific passers in CA state history and has steadily improved his arm strength and accuracy. He’s dangers in and out of the pocket and has the athleticism and foot speed to take off and score from anywhere on the field as well. Very accurate thrower to all levels of the field and shows great touch on the deep ball. Already has an advanced feel for changing speeds and when to take a little off or when to throw with a little more heat. Always looks poised and never seems rattled in the pocket, the game just looks slow for him and he’s able to make quick reads and progressions. Has good pocket sense and doesn’t just take off and run at the slightest hint of pressure but can make that first guy miss, keep his eyes down the field and make a throw or run for plus yards. He’s a winner and a gamer and always seems to step and play his best against the better teams. Has a quiet almost unassuming personality off the field but is a natural leader, a great teammate and very respected among his peers.

Areas to improve: Daniels is rail thin right now and needs to add some size and strength when he gets to college. He has the frame to easily pack on an additional 15-20 pounds and will need to do it to stand up to some of the big hits all quarterbacks take at the next level. We think he can clean up his mechanics a little as well and tighten his throwing motion. He doesn’t always throw the tightest ball but thee are all things we're confident he can clean up and his long term potential as tremendous.

Overall Analysis: Daniels has as much upside as just about any quarterback in this year’s class. He has drawn comparisons to former Clemson standout Deshaun Watson and definitely has a chance to play at the NFL level. You can’t say enough about the job ASU did in landing Daniels. They already had two quarterbacks committed and didn’t make a full court press on him until late in the process and were still able to beat out a trio of Pac-12 schools that had been on him for over a year. Daniels is an early graduate and will be able to enroll in time for Spring Ball. It will be interesting to see how fast Daniels develops and where things shake out in the quarterback battle. We know Daniels will be coming in hungry and hoping to earn playing time right away. Regardless, we love his long term potential and he really elevates this Sun Devil recruiting class. He's a legitimate top 100 talent and it can't be understated enough, the ASU coaches under Herm Edwards have shown that they can recruit against anyone out West and win those battles and it's a great sign moving forward for the program.