BATON ROUGE - LSU's Jayden Daniels is one of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.

The awards committee named Daniels, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. to their short list on Tuesday. The winner will be announced on Dec. 8.

Fellow Tiger Joe Burrow won the award in 2019 on his way to the Heisman Trophy -- something many expect Daniels to repeat this year.

He's led the nation in key metrics while guiding LSU to a record of 9-3.

Daniels was named SEC Player of the Week five times this season.

The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award was first issued in 1981.

The finalists for the Heisman Trophy -- considered the top individual honor in college football -- will be announced on Dec. 4. The winner will be named in a ceremony on Dec. 9.

GRAMBLING - Grambling State University is parting ways with its head football coach.

Numerous sources on Tuesday said the university has dismissed Hue Jackson -- the former NFL head coach who took over the program in late 2021.

Grambling finished the 2023 season with a 5-6 record, dropping the annual Bayou Classic to rival Southern University on Saturday by a score of 27-22.

Jackson was on a four-year contract that paid him $400,000 each year.

There was no official announcement regarding his status as of noon Tuesday.

BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Zydeco have made a change at the end of the bench, elevating MJ Graham -- a player on the team -- to the top coaching position.

A franchise spokesperson told WBRZ News 2 that the Zydeco have elevated Graham to "interim head coach" as part of a leadership change.

A formal announcement of the move followed Tuesday afternoon.

"We are confident MJ will provide the leadership required to successfully guide our team for the rest of our inaugural season as interim head coach," said Don Lewis, President of the Baton Rouge Zydeco.

The team announced Matt Hamilton as its first head coach over the summer, then, in October, said Paul Maclean and Matthew Fornari would serve as co-head coaches.

The change comes 12 games into the inaugural season for the franchise. It's been a slow start; Graham takes over a team that has won just 2 of those first dozen matches.

Baton Rouge sits in last place in the FPHL Continental Division.

The Zydeco are back on the ice at home this Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the Mississippi Sea Wolves.