CJ Daniels’ “Unreal Catch” Nominated for ‘Catch of the Year’ in Jaw-Dropping Fashion (Watch)

CJ Daniels caught 42 passes for 480 receiving yards at LSU last season but never found the end zone for the Tigers. The drought ended in spectacular fashion Sunday night when the Georgia native scored his first touchdown as a Hurricane with an absurd one-handed grab.

The unreal catch had Hard Rock Stadium erupting and college football fans losing their minds online. ESPN immediately dubbed it an early ‘Catch of the Year’ nominee on their social media handle, giving Daniels instant national recognition in his first game wearing orange and green.

CJ Daniels Reels In Jaw-Dropping One-Handed TD

The LSU transfer’s spectacular snag came with 12 seconds left in the first half against No. 6 Notre Dame. It gave the Hurricanes a crucial 14-7 halftime lead that became a 27-24 upset victory over Notre Dame.

During the 20-yard touchdown catch, Daniels reached back with his right hand to reel in Beck’s pass between two Notre Dame DBs. His relentless effort to keep the ball from touching the grass caught everyone off guard.

Analysts immediately started throwing around Odell Beckham Jr. comparisons for the incredible extension and body control. ESPN couldn’t help but label the play as an instant classic and potential unreal catch of the year. They posted on X, “CATCH OF THE YEAR NOMINEE 🤯 CJ DANIELS REELS IT IN 🔥”

CATCH OF THE YEAR NOMINEE 🤯

CJ DANIELS REELS IT IN 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GLh8APSRsb

— ESPN (@espn) September 1, 2025

He finished the first half with three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown. But that insane TD catch capped the most important scoring drive, giving Miami momentum heading into the locker room against a top-10 opponent.

With this, the sixth-year receiver from Baton Rouge made his mark in primetime at Hard Rock Stadium.

Social Media Explodes Over CJ Daniels’ Spectacular Snag

Daniels entered his new home with 148 career receptions, but none quite like this acrobatic snag that had his new teammates mobbing him in the end zone. Even cameras caught Miami alum Michael Irvin going crazy on the sideline.

Meanwhile, social media went absolutely bonkers after Daniels’ highlight-reel grab. Jomboy Media captured the collective reaction, penning, “CJ DANIELS WITH AN UNREAL CATCH!”

“CJ DANIELS IS UNREAL,” RedditCFB remarked.

Bleacher Report posted, “OMG WHAT A CATCH CJ DANIELS ONE-HANDED TD SNAG.”

Miami football walked into Hard Rock Stadium with a roster full of newcomers. Carson Beck’s transfer paid off despite early concerns, with fans erupting as he dominated in Miami’s upset win over Notre Dame. Daniels also won over the fans with this insane catch.

Now the connections between the dots are clear, showing why coach Mario Cristobal and his staff prioritized bringing in the experienced receiver from the transfer portal.