LSU head coach Brian Kelly continues to take plenty of well-justified incoming. To show, LSU fans regret that Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels’ season did not equate to a championship. Yet many recent NFL future odds coaches, quarterbacks, and programs have been cursed by the Heisman Trophy. NFL future odds players should not fall in love with teams that boast Heisman Trophy quarterbacks. In fact, there is a good case to avoid such clubs. This year, Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams will make their NFL debuts. In turn, success is not guaranteed.
Jayden Daniels Enters Washington with No Titles But a Heisman
It did not take Brian Kelly long to realize that he had no defense to depend on with his 2023 LSU Tigers. So he turned the team over to quarterback Jayden Daniels. As the season went to waste, Kelly focused on turning a lost championship campaign into a Heisman Trophy sportsbook quest.
In his second season on the Bayou, Kelly’s program failed to formulate a plan to deliver an adequate defense. Previously, LSU had a solid defense in Kelly’s first campaign of 2022. Thus, Kelly deserves no pass, as he was hired to improve the entire program and build upon his initial success. Instead, it devolved into a one-man team. The Washington Commanders are rebuilding and could have similar problems.
Lincoln Riley Coached NFL Heisman Flops
In 2022, Caleb Williams became the third Lincoln Riley-led QB to hoist the Heisman Trophy. Williams began his career with Riley at Oklahoma and followed him to USC after the 2021 campaign. Last year, Williams was a favorite to become the first repeat Heisman Trophy winner since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974-75).
Instead, Williams regressed as he carried the NFL betting odds burden of a team with no defense, weak interior line play, and lacking toughness. Also, Williams’ personality changed at USC from his time at Oklahoma. While in Los Angeles, he went full Hollywood and came off as soft, entitled, distracted, and eccentric.
Previously, Riley coached Oklahoma QBs Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) to Heisman Trophies. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff both times but was exposed for having no serious defensive ability.
In all three cases, Riley coddled Williams, Mayfield, and Murray. The Heisman Trophies did not equate to anything close to a national championship. In the case of Mayfield and Murray, such catering left them ill-prepared for the NFL. Hence, there are legitimate concerns that the same will be true of Williams. Meanwhile, Riley has lost his shine and is on the hot seat entering his third season at USC.
Interestingly, the one successful pro-QB under Lincoln Riley was Jalen Hurts. Of course, Hurts made the final table for the 2019 Heisman Trophy in his one transfer campaign with the Sooners. Previously, Hurts spent three previous seasons under the demanding taskmaster Nick Saban at Alabama. Hurts took those good work habits he developed under the GOAT with him to the NFL where he has thrived with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Saban’s Coaching Was Not Guaranteed Either
2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young of Alabama did not win a national championship in his two years as Nick Saban’s starter. Despite impressive stats, Young fell short of the ultimate program standard for QBs. Young’s rookie NFL season with the Carolina Panthers was a disaster. Carolina is one of the worst-managed franchises in pro sports. Thus, time will tell if Young was cursed for ending up with them or if he is simply not up to NFL standards.
I do not understand the excitement about the recent Caleb Williams hype videos with the Bears, didn’t we just do this with Justin Fields? pic.twitter.com/Wlh7eOBVIQ
— FIRST ROUND MOCK (@firstroundmock) June 2, 2024