All aTwitter bonus edition: The Jayden Daniels VR training story

Jayden Daniels made VR training a condition for any team drafting him.

Now he’s NFL Rookie of the Year and 1 game away from the Super Bowl.

His edge? Training his brain at 1.75x speed.

The story of the first QB 2.0: pic.twitter.com/OndJs0Azme

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Picture this:

– 10 interceptions haunting his dreams
– Confidence shattered
– Both grandparents lost to COVID within weeks
– A once-promising career hanging by a thread

The football world had written him off.
But they didn’t know what was coming. pic.twitter.com/VnFpolGwsI

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The first turning point wasn’t the one everyone saw.

Yes, Daniels transferred to LSU.
Yes, he showed flashes of brilliance.

But he was still a mid-round draft prospect at best.
Something was missing.

Then two German entrepreneurs changed everything. pic.twitter.com/Z8uftaFj42

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Enter Verina Kau and Christian Hartman:

– Founded Cognilize, a VR company
– Originally built for soccer
– Business was struggling
– Needed a breakthrough

They had no idea they were about to revolutionize football. pic.twitter.com/zx7hInB69I

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Meanwhile at LSU:

Jack Maruchi and Mario Macaluso were drowning in emails.

Hundreds of companies promised “the next big thing” in sports tech.

But when they saw Cognize’s early prototype, something clicked.

The future of quarterback development was about to be rewritten. pic.twitter.com/jv6hFylUXX

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Week 3, 2023 season:

Daniels strapped on the VR headset for the first time.

The coaching staff held their breath.
The German team watched nervously.
Even Daniels wasn’t sure what to expect.

Then he stepped onto the field against Mississippi State… pic.twitter.com/JNB91fQbXr

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The numbers tell one story:

– 30/34 completions
– 361 passing yards
– 4 total touchdowns
– 400+ yards of offense

But the real story?
The game had “slowed down.”
Everything felt… familiar.

Why? Because he’d already seen it all. pic.twitter.com/YSlXBuZlUT

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The secret wasn’t just the VR.

It was how they used it:

1. Speed manipulation:
– Everything runs at 1.75x speed
– Defenses move faster than real life
– Brain adapts to heightened pace
– Real games feel slower

2. Cognitive rewiring:
– 250-300 extra reps per week
– Thousands of… pic.twitter.com/kAS4lrO5QQ

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

But the real breakthrough came during his concussion.

Florida game. Heisman on the line.
Couldn’t practice all week.
Doctors barely cleared him Saturday morning.

Most quarterbacks would crumble.
Daniels put up 600 total yards.

How? pic.twitter.com/C29GwoJxHe

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

While his body healed, his mind kept working:

– Running through scenarios
– Reading defenses
– Processing coverages
– Building mental maps

The VR didn’t just supplement his training.
It transformed how his brain processed football. pic.twitter.com/LfA73GbpCA

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The technology is mind-bending:

– Eye-tracking shows exactly where QBs look
– Stadium-specific details down to scoreboard locations
– Every defensive scheme imaginable
– Real play calls recorded by coaches
– Custom-built for each opponent

But that’s not the real story.

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The real story is psychological:

When most rookies see NFL defenses, their minds race:

– Processing speed overwhelms them
– Confidence wavers
– Decision-making slows
– Pressure builds

Daniels? He’s seen it all 1.75x faster. pic.twitter.com/CdDFbodZFV

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

The numbers tell the transformation:

Pre-VR:

– Never topped 3,000 passing yards
– Career-high: 17 TDs
– Mid-round draft prospect

Post-VR:

– Nearly 4,000 yards
– 40 TDs
– Heisman Trophy
– #2 overall pick
– NFL Rookie of the Year pic.twitter.com/SmSGgg931D

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

But here’s what everyone missed:

Daniels made VR adoption a condition for drafting him.

Think about that:
A rookie QB so convinced by technology that he staked his NFL future on it.

The Commanders didn’t hesitate.
They saw what we’re all seeing now. pic.twitter.com/WUBhh6LBiH

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Every great revolution looks obvious in hindsight:

Of course QBs should train their minds at higher speeds
Of course they need thousands of mental reps
Of course virtual preparation matters
Of course the brain can be rewired

But someone had to go first. pic.twitter.com/pQurmGVfXD

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025

Remember this moment.

Years from now, when every QB is training this way, people will ask:
“Who changed the game?”

The answer will be Jayden Daniels – the quarterback who saw the future and embraced it first.

Follow @thetoddjacob for more deep dives into the psychology and… pic.twitter.com/qYPfA94WZG

— Todd Jacob (@thetoddjacob) January 19, 2025