BREAKING: Former USC QB JT Daniels Transfers To UGA
Coming into the winter of 2020 UGA looked in trouble at quarterback. That can't be said any more. Former USC QB JT Daniels is transferring to UGA.
It remains to be seen if Daniels will be eligible to play right away or not, but the former consensus 5-star prospect and starting Trojan QB adds to the Dawgs’ depth in a quarterback room that started the year with only three players on scholarship.
Daniels joins Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman, who is considered one of the top veteran QBs in college football.
The 6-foot-3 210-pounder out of powerhouse Mater Dei signed with the local USC Trojans in the 2018 class, earning the starting job as a freshman in 2018. That fall, Daniels was 216 of 363 (59.5%) for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns and 10 INTS.
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As a sophomore, Daniels torn his ACL and meniscus in the season opener and had to miss the remainder of the season. Like Jacob Eason’s situation at Georgia, Daniels decided to enter the transfer portal after Trojans QB Kedon Slovis came in and won the job.
So what are the Bulldogs getting in Daniels?
They’re getting an accurate passer with great pocket presence and a full year of college experience. After reclassifying to the 2018 class in high school, Daniels was thrown into the starting role as a freshman at USC, and while he showed flashes of his potential, he didn’t exactly put up impressive numbers during his freshman season. He was inconsistent and made plenty of freshman mistakes with the football.
He has good arm strength, but the instincts, pocket awareness, and accuracy are just a few reasons why he was ranked as the No.2 pro-style quarterback in the 2018 class, right behind Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence.
What does it mean moving forward?
It means Daniels, a guy who still hasn’t reached his peak, is going to push Jamie Newman and the rest of the quarterbacks for playing time this fall. Many national pundits and analysts believe Newman is a possible first-round pick and Heisman candidate, but Daniels doesn’t seem like the type of guy who plans to sit on the bench. He didn’t play last season after the season opener, so you would think he’d want to transfer somewhere where he’d be able to play this fall.
That will be tough to do at Georgia. The Bulldogs have a veteran QB in Jame Newman, an athletic former four-star in D’Wan Mathis, and a promising freshman in Carson Beck.
That’s a lot of talent competing for the same job, and it’s going to put a giant smile on Kirby Smart’s face this summer.
It looks like there’s another QB battle in Athens…
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