The four finalists for the Heisman Trophy have been announced but there is one that stands above the others.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is a heavy favorite to win the award come Saturday night. He already won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Thursday, which is presented to the quarterback who best exemplifies character, scholastic and athletic achievement.

Daniels will be fined by Bo Nix (Oregon), Michael Penix Jr. (Washington), and Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State) in New York City for the award ceremony.

Daniels, who is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, completed 72.2% of his passes for 3,814 yards with 40 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Daniels was also extremely effective on the ground all season long. He carried the ball 135 times for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns. Daniels has totaled 12,749 passing yards and 3,307 rushing yards in his career. He became the only player to eclipse 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 rushing yards in his career.

LSU finished 9-3 this season. While wins and losses are not the only qualification for the Heisman Trophy, they can work the other way. Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman winner, was considered the favorite once again over the first six weeks of the season but USC lost five of six games to end the season.

When looking at the final stats, it is clear that Daniels is the favorite:

• Jayden Daniels: 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 72.2%, 1,134 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns, 8.4 ypc
• Box Nix: 4,145 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 77.2%, 228 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns, 4.3 ypc
• Michael Penix Jr.: 4.218 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 3 rushing touchdowns
• Marvin Harrison Jr.: 67 catches, 1,211 receiving yards, 14 touchdowns, 18.1 ypc

Daniels was set apart over the final three games of the season. He totaled 17 touchdowns without turning the ball over. This includes a game against Georgia State where he finished with 413 passing yards and eight total touchdowns. Just one week earlier, Daniels finished with 606 total yards and five touchdowns.

Right now, the field is set and Daniels has taken over as a runaway favorite for the Heisman Trophy. It will be interesting to see if there can be a final push from any of the other three finalists but it seems unlikely to this point.