I’ve thought about this myself. Had Daniels come to the U, Rising likely wouldn’t be here. I like Rising much better. He’s a better leader and in my opinion, a better QB. His mom also seems too involved, kinda like another QB that people claimed Utah “missed” on.
What was the timeline on Rising transferring? My memory was that it was shortly after Tuttle moved on but still during the 2018 season which would have essentially been committing to Taylor. At the same time, Daniels choosing ASU also happened right around the same time Ludwig was announced as replacing Taylor.
I always felt the OC change was more important to Daniels choice than who was on the roster, even if there was a clearer path to starting right away at ASU.