JT Daniels, football quarterback in Georgia, still ‘really confident’, even after commitment

08/17/2020 Health, World


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Even after commitment, confidence is still high for JT Daniels

JT Daniels is not sure he first entered college football when he was a 5-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting cycle. At that time, he was paid as the next big Southern Cal quarterback from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, following in the footsteps of Matt Barkley and Matt Lienart.

While starting his first fall camp as the Georgia Bulldog, however, not everything is as well known about his talents on the field. Defensive backs Richard LeCounte and Eric Stokes could not really talk about what he brings to the offense on account of not watching his game alone. Part of that is because he spent the last two seasons at USC. The other is because he arrived in Georgia in May and only went through team walkthroughs and workouts.

They recognize his talent because head coach Kirby Smart has made it a point to bring in talented players who can help Georgia win now.

Although, now Daniels is not yet completely removed for contact, as Georgia begins to feel on Monday

“JT Daniels has not been removed yet. JT Daniels also comes from ACL surgery, ‘Smart said. “He could take some reps. He’s capable of throwing the ball and doing some things, but he’s not yet completely wiped off the knee.

Related: Georgia Injury Report: Kirby Smart Says Dominick Blaylock, JT Daniels Not Completely Removed

The knee’s references are the same as those he scored in his opening game of the 2019 season. By the time of Georgia’s first game on Sept. 26, it will have been a full year since that injury occurred. Half a year after Daniels, for a second time, the starting quarterback was named for the season opener.

Daniels will aim to do it again this fall, although his league numbers are stiffer. He is not the only transfer quarterback to enter Georgia, as the Bulldogs also have Jamie Newman, who came to Georgia more than four months before Daniels did. There are also Carson Beck, D’Wan Mathis and Stetson Bennett to compete with.

Smart put a blueprint for how one of those five, including Daniels, could win the starting quarterback job.

“Those guys are going to be assessed and evaluated every day on how the command is the huddle,” Smart said. ‘How do they respond to repeating an interjection? What do they do when they make a bust? Do they make the right checks, do they make the right decisions? Can they use their feet to extend plays?

“All of those things will be used to judge who gives us the best chance of winning.”

Related: Kirby Smart: Georgia quarterback league ‘part of the process’ for misdemeanor

Daniels, along with Newman, has started double-digit games as a starting quarterback at the Power 5 level. The USC transfer started 11 games as a real newcomer, including the Trojans’ season opener that year. In that game, after joining USC this summer, as opposed to a mid-year record, Daniels completed 21 of his 35 passes for 282 yards and a touchdown.

But it seems like since that debut nothing has gone according to plan. The Trojans went 5-7 in that opening season. The following year, Daniels tore his ACL in the season opener against Fresno State. Then freshman Kedon Slovis blossomed like a freshman, throwing for 30 touchdowns. Daniels threw just 14 in his newcomer campaign.

In April of this year, Daniels made the move to enter the transfer portal. That’s where Georgia, who did not have much contact with him during his first recruitment process because it signed Justin Fields in the same 2018 recruitment cycle, got involved.

But even after the initial contact, not even Georgia knew exactly what it was going to get with Daniels, especially if they were considering their own quarterback room.

“We communicated for a while, not knowing in which direction we could go,” Smart said. “Once COVID started, we did not know what was happening. We did not know what we would have in our quarterback room. We did not know if we would have two boys here and stay or be if anyone would leave. “

But Smart knew he wanted to add Daniels. And so he did, as Daniels announced he would transfer in May.

‘I’m a big believer in getting the best people on the team you can get. And you have a competition, ”said Smart. “Iron grinds iron and that room will be really competitive and we are excited to see where it goes. ”

Daniels, along with Newman, Mathis, Beck and Bennett, will have 25 practices over the 40 days between Monday and the first game on Sept. 26. Twice before Daneils won the starting quarterback job at one of the top schools in the country. That probably explains some of his confidence that teammates have noticed.

‘JT strikes me as a man who has real confidence. He is really confident in his arm and what he can do and how he can handle a crime, ”said Jamaree Salyer about his teammate. “He behaves in a certain way, which you as an offensive lineman can certainly respect.”

Daniels is not the slam-dunk, 5-star prospect he once was. A loss record and a surgically repaired knee will certainly doubt one’s ability. Add in how Newman has been hyped this offseason and Daniels is not even considered the favorite to win the starting quarterback job.

Georgia does not know who his starting quarterback is at this point in time. It does not matter. It has the following 25 practices to figure that out.

Daniels will have a chance to re-introduce himself to the world of college football. And he gets a chance to let his teammates know just how good a player he is over those 40 days.

“I’m ready for him, just like everyone else, to go out and show what they have,” LeCounte said. ‘The camp is for you to prove what kind of player you are. It will be a lot of competition. There are a lot of guys trying to make a name for themselves and this is the place to do it here at camp, day one. ”

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