Auburn’s quarterback situation took a dramatic turn during Saturday’s Week 9 matchup against Arkansas when Ashton Daniels replaced Jackson Arnold under center. Hugh Freeze had hinted all week that both QBs would see playing time, promising to give Daniels “a series or two” to prove himself against the Razorbacks’ defense. Arnold completed six straight passes and a touchdown in the first quarter. But followed it up with just one completion and a pick-six in the second.

Then it was time for Freeze to make his move. Now, Ashton Daniels gets his shot to resurrect an Auburn offense that’s managed just 54 points during a brutal four-game losing streak.​

Who is Ashton Daniels?

Daniels comes from a serious athletic pedigree. His father, Juan Daniels, played wide receiver at Georgia from 1994-96 before moving on to the Arena Football League, while his mother, Hadli Daniels, was a volleyball player for the Bulldogs.

Born May 29, 2004, in Buford, Georgia, Ashton grew up with sports running through his veins. “My parents told me that when I was younger, they could not get me away from sports, whether it be basketball, football, soccer, or baseball,” Daniels said. “I’ve just always loved sports, and I think that just comes from them being great role models.” His father coached him through youth sports, and the expectations were sky-high from the beginning. “In the best way possible, I think they expected greatness out of me,” Ashton Daniels admitted.​

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That greatness showed up early at Buford High School, where Daniels became a Georgia legend by leading the Wolves to three consecutive state championships. Even more impressive? He was named MVP of the state title game all three years. 

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound quarterback also played lacrosse growing up. He has two siblings, and there’s even an Auburn connection in the family tree. Greg Pratt, who was the starting fullback for Auburn, was Daniels’ father’s cousin. Daniels eventually graduated from Stanford with a degree in Science, Technology, and Society and joined Auburn as a graduate transfer.

Ashton Daniels’ Career Journey

Daniels committed to Stanford out of high school, and his trajectory there showed both promise and growing pains. He played in 10 games as a true freshman during the 2022 season as the team’s wildcat quarterback. During those games, he rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries while completing five of six passes. 

His sophomore year in 2023 is when he took over as the full-time starter, appearing in 12 games with 10 starts. He passed for 2,247 yards and 11 touchdowns that season, with five of those scoring strikes going for 40-plus yards. But the Cardinal went just 2-8 in his starts. And his dual-threat ability, 109 carries for 292 yards and three more rushing TDs, wasn’t enough to overcome Stanford’s overall struggles.​

His junior season in 2024 showed real improvement as a rusher but regression in other areas. Daniels set Stanford’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback with 669 yards on 148 attempts. That included a 67-yard touchdown run and a 129-yard performance at NC State that tied the school’s single-game rushing record for a QB. 

He threw for 1,700 yards with 10 touchdowns, but his 12 interceptions were a major problem. Stanford went 3-7 in his starts. Over three seasons at Stanford, Daniels finished with 3,986 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. He also had 1,117 rushing yards and nine rushing scores across 33 games. 

When he entered the transfer portal in December 2024, Auburn swooped in quickly to land him. Hugh Freeze initially planned to redshirt him this season. But with Auburn sitting at 3-4 and winless in SEC play, those redshirt plans seem to be going out of the window. Now, Daniels gets his chance to show whether those three years at Stanford prepared him for the grind of SEC football.​