Mother of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels implicated in ASU recruiting scandal

Regina Jackson, the mother of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, is mentioned frequently in the NCAA's report on Arizona State's recruiting violations dating back to 2020.

The full NCAA report came out Thursday in conjunction with the eight-year show-cause penalty issued to former associate head coach Antonio Pierce , now the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. The report also detailed the depth of the involvement of Jackson.

Daniels has not been named or implicated in any way.

Four staff members, including head coach Herm Edwards, agreed to a negotiated resolution in April. Pierce did not and had his case adjudicated separately.

Jackson is first referred to as a "booster" but later identified as a parent of a former student-athlete. Jackson wasn't just a regular at games but routinely showed up at practices as well, traveling from her home in San Bernardino, California.

The report indicates Jackson helped arrange unofficial visits for recruits during the dead period which resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. The dead period banned off-campus travel for coaches, and recruits were not to be brought to campus either.

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Pierce arranged and financed the visits in collaboration with Jackson. Former assistant coach Chris Hawkins, one of the coaches who agreed to the negotiated resolution in April, told investigators Jackson used her credit card to book flights and lodging for prospects and was later reimbursed by Pierce.

That statement was backed up by another coach, Prentice Gill, who said he learned from other Arizona State football staff members — including Pierce — that it was best "to operate through third parties and not do things personally, so as to create ‘plausible deniability.'”

Pierce and Jackson also arranged social gatherings at an off-campus rental property where prospects, their families, and coaches frequently met.

Daniels played at ASU from 2019 to 2021, getting the starting spot upon his arrival. He transferred to LSU where he played for two years and won the Heisman Trophy in 2023. He was drafted by the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mother of Commanders QB Jayden Daniels implicated in ASU recruiting scandal