JT Daniels

JT Daniels

Daniels with the USC Trojans in 2018
Current position
Title	Offensive analyst
Team	West Georgia Wolves
Biographical details
Born	(2000-02-02) February 2, 2000 (age 24) Irvine, California, U.S.
Playing career
2018–2019	USC
2020–2021	Georgia
2022	West Virginia
2023	Rice
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2024–present	West Georgia (analyst)

Jonathan Tyler Daniels (born February 2, 2000) is an American college football coach and former quarterback. He is the offensive analyst for the University of West Georgia, a position he has held since 2024. He played college football for the USC Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs (where he won the CFP national championship as a backup to Stetson Bennett), West Virginia Mountaineers and Rice Owls.

Early life

Daniels was born in Irvine, California, the son of Ali and Steve Daniels. His father is Catholic and his mother is Jewish.^[1] He attended Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California.^[2] During his high school career, he passed for 12,014 yards with 152 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.^[3]

Daniels was notable for earning the starting position his freshman year and full play calling responsibility his sophomore year, the latter of which being a distinction that took fellow Mater Dei and USC alum Matt Barkley until his senior year to earn.^[4] He threw for 4,849 yards and 67 touchdowns his sophomore season. As a junior, he won the Gatorade Football Player of the Year and then later the Male Athlete of the Year award,^[5] after passing for 4,123 yards and scoring 61 total touchdowns (52 passing, nine rushing), leading his team to a 15–0 record and a consensus high school football national championship.^[6][7] Mater Dei held the #1 position from the first week of the season and did not trail at any point in the season, winning every game by at least 10 points in CIF's Division I.^[8]

College career

USC

2018 season

See also: 2018 USC Trojans football team

Daniels was a five-star recruit and ranked as the number one overall recruit in his class by Rivals.com prior to his reclassification.^[9] He committed to the University of Southern California (USC) to play college football.^[10] In December 2017, Daniels announced that he would graduate early from high school and reclassify to the 2018 class.^[11] He enrolled at USC in June 2018 upon completion of his high school course work. In August 2018, he began USC's two week fall camp in a three-way competition for the starting quarterback position. Within three weeks, Daniels was named the starter over incumbents Matt Fink and Jack Sears,^[12] making him the second true freshman in school history to start a season opener. In his true freshman year, Daniels passed for 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns, and ten interceptions in 11 games, missing just one game due to concussion. The Trojans went 5–7 for the season.^[13][14]

2019 season

See also: 2019 USC Trojans football team

In 2019, he won the starting job over Fink, Sears, and Kedon Slovis.^[14] During the season opener against the Fresno State Bulldogs, he tore his ACL during a sack in the second quarter; at the time of the injury, he had completed 25 of 34 passes for 215 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Daniels was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the year and Slovis was named the starting quarterback.^[15][16]

Following the emergence of Slovis, USC head coach Clay Helton announced that Daniels entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on April 16, 2020.^[17]

Georgia

Daniels throws the ball against the Clemson Tigers in 2021

2020 season

See also: 2020 Georgia Bulldogs football team

On May 28, 2020, Daniels announced that he would be transferring to the University of Georgia. Daniels was granted immediate eligibility to play by the NCAA on July 13.^[18] Going into the 2020 season, Daniels competed with Jamie Newman, D'Wan Mathis, Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck for the starting job. On September 2, Newman announced he would opt-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns and began to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft, leaving Daniels to compete with Mathis, Bennett and Beck.^[19] Ultimately, Mathis was named the starting quarterback for the season-opener against the Arkansas Razorbacks.^[20] Daniels was cleared to play by the team doctors, but not his personal doctor, so he said he would not play. Still, head coach Kirby Smart named Daniels the backup quarterback behind Bennett, who replaced Mathis due to poor play against Arkansas. Daniels was named the starting quarterback in the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, after Bennett sustained a shoulder injury against the Florida Gators.^[21]

On November 21, Daniels made his first start and appearance with Georgia against Mississippi State and went 28-of-38 for 401 passing yards with four touchdowns in the 31–24 win.^[22] Following that game, Daniels was named the starter for the remainder of the season. Daniels led the Bulldogs to the Peach Bowl, where he went 26-of-38 for 392 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception in the 24–21 win.^[23] The Bulldogs went 4–0 in Daniels' four starts and Daniels finished the season with 80 passing completions out of 119 attempts for 1,231 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.^[24]

2021 season

See also: 2021 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Beginning the 2021 season, Daniels was the clear frontrunner for starting quarterback, with Stetson Bennett as backup. In the season opener against the Clemson Tigers, Daniels threw 22-for-30 with 135 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception in the 10–3 win.^[25] Following Georgia's victory, Daniels was sidelined with an oblique injury, leaving Bennett as the starter for an indefinite period.^[26] Daniels returned two weeks later against the South Carolina Gamecocks and threw 23-for-31 with 303 yards, and two touchdowns and one interception. Daniels started a week later on September 25 against the Vanderbilt Commodores and threw 9-for-10 with two touchdowns for 129 yards, but was replaced by Bennett. Daniels did not return until November 6 against the Missouri Tigers; however, he only appeared briefly in relief of a struggling Bennett, throwing 7-of-11 for 82 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Daniels' last appearance came against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on November 20 during senior day (the last home game of the season), and threw 7-for-12, gaining 73 yards and a touchdown during his brief stint.^[27]

Despite a poor performance by Bennett in the SEC championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide with two interceptions, head coach Kirby Smart remained confident in Bennett's abilities for the remainder of the season. Following Georgia's national championship and Bennett's affirmation to play out his final season of eligibility in 2022, Daniels entered the NCAA transfer portal.

West Virginia

See also: 2022 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

On April 13, 2022, Daniels announced his intention to transfer to West Virginia University.^[28] He was benched midseason in favor of Garrett Greene.^[29] On December 5, Daniels entered the transfer portal.^[30]

Rice

See also: 2023 Rice Owls football team

On December 20, 2022, Daniels announced his intention to transfer to Rice University, his fourth program in his six-year collegiate career.^[31]

On September 10, 2023, Daniels led the Owls to a 43–41 victory in 2OT against the Houston Cougars in the Bayou Bucket Classic, throwing a career-high 401 yards and three touchdowns.^[32] On November 4, Daniels would end up playing his final college game in a 36–31 loss to the SMU Mustangs. In the second quarter, he was hit by linebacker Ahmad Walker, and even threw a touchdown pass two plays later, but after being assessed with concussion-like symptoms, he did not appear for the team in the second half.^[33]

Retirement

On December 1, 2023, Daniels medically retired from football, after sustaining multiple concussions during his career.^[34][35][36]

College statistics

Season	Games			Passing								Rushing
	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Avg	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
USC Trojans
2018	11	11	5−6	216	363	59.5	2,672	7.4	14	10	128.6	45	−149	−3.3	0
2019	1	1	1−0	25	34	73.5	215	6.3	1	1	130.5	3	−6	−2.0	0
Georgia Bulldogs
2020	4	4	4−0	80	119	67.2	1,231	10.3	10	2	178.5	10	−71	−7.1	0
2021	6	3	3−0	68	94	72.3	722	7.7	7	3	155.1	4	−18	−4.5	0
West Virginia Mountaineers
2022	10	10	4−6	200	327	61.2	2,107	6.4	13	9	122.9	30	−51	−1.7	1
Rice Owls
2023	9	9	4−5	181	287	63.1	2,443	8.5	21	7	153.8	25	−65	−2.6	1
Career	41	38	21−17	770	1,224	62.9	9,390	7.7	66	32	139.9	117	−360	−3.1	2

Coaching career

On March 19, 2024, Daniels was hired as a graduate assistant at the University of West Georgia, where he joined the coaching staff of Joel Taylor.^[37] He was also reunited with Dane Stevens, who was on the coaching staff at the University of Southern California. By the start of the season, Daniels' position had been tweaked to a offensive analyst role, in particular, working with the quarterbacks.^[38]

References

1. Emerson, Seth (April 25, 2021). "'An old soul': Georgia QB JT Daniels and the mother who shaped him". The Athletic. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
2. Sherman, Mitch (February 9, 2017). "The next great QB prospect might just be JT Daniels". ESPN. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
3. Fryer, Steve (December 22, 2017). "Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels confirms plan to leave school and enroll early at USC". Press-Telegram. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
4. Piellucci, Mike (August 17, 2018). "The Next Great USC QB Shouldn't Even Be in College". The Ringer. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
5. Greene, Dan (July 17, 2018). "JT Daniels Becomes First to Win Gatorade Male Athlete of the Year Award After Junior Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
6. Albano, Dan (December 19, 2017). "Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels named Gatorade National Player of the Year". OC Register. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
7. Sondheimer, Eric (December 27, 2017). "Player of the year JT Daniels heads Times' 2017 prep football all-star team". LA Times. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
8. Poff, Zack (December 24, 2017). "Final 2017 MaxPreps Top 25 high school football rankings". MaxPreps.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
9. "JT Daniels, Pro-style quarterback". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
10. Albano, Dan (July 30, 2017). "Mater Dei quarterback JT Daniels commits to USC". OC Register. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
11. Bonagura, Kyle (December 22, 2017). "USC QB recruit JT Daniels graduating early to play next season". ESPN. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
12. Kercheval, Ben (August 27, 2018). "USC names star freshman JT Daniels its starting quarterback: Three things to know". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
13. Trevino, Chris (August 31, 2019). "USC QB JT Daniels carted off the field against Fresno State". 247Sports.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
14. Abdeldaim, Alaa (August 20, 2019). "JT Daniels Named USC's Starting Quarterback". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
15. Kercheval, Ben; Sallee, Barrett (September 1, 2019). "USC quarterback JT Daniels out for season with torn ACL and meniscus, a report says". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
16. Kartje, Ryan (September 8, 2019). "USC makes the AP top 25 rankings after Kedon Slovis' big game in win over Stanford". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
17. Adelson, Andrea (April 16, 2020). "USC quarterback Daniels to enter transfer portal". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
18. Towers, Chip (July 13, 2020). "NCAA approves QB J.T. Daniels' eligibility at Georgia". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
19. Schlabach, Mark (September 2, 2020). "UGA QB Newman opts out over virus concerns". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
20. Odum, Charles (November 30, 2020). "Georgia's D'Wan Mathis to transfer after losing starting job". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
21. Nivison, Austin (November 19, 2020). "JT Daniels to start against Mississippi State". 247Sports. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
22. Roper, Austin (November 22, 2020). "JT Daniels' 401-yard, 4 touchdown performance lifts No. 13 Georgia past Mississippi State". The Red & Black. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
23. "Georgia, JT Daniels hand Cincinnati its 1st loss in Peach Bowl". Orange County Register. Associated Press. January 1, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
24. "JT Daniels 2020 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
25. Griffith, Mike (September 5, 2021). "JT Daniels happy with Georgia 10-3 win over Clemson, but 'we can't play with 10'". DawgNation. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
26. Austin, Brooks (September 8, 2021). "Sources: JT Daniels Dealing With An Injury". Sports Illustrated Georgia Bulldogs News, Analysis and More. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
27. "JT Daniels Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
28. Thamel, Pete (April 13, 2022). "QB Daniels heads to W. Virginia after USC, UGA". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
29. Chavkin, Daniel (November 19, 2022). "Report: West Virginia Benches Starting Quarterback as Neal Brown Coaches for Job". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
30. Goeckel, Christian (December 6, 2022). "Breaking: Former Georgia Quarterback JT Daniels Entering the Transfer Portal". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
31. Thamel, Pete (December 21, 2022). "Sources: Daniels picks Rice as 4th college stop". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
32. Koch, Joshua (September 10, 2023). "Daniels passes for 401 yards, Rice stuns Houston in double OT, 43-41". AP News. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
33. Talty, John (November 4, 2024). "For college QBs like Grayson McCall, there is no magic concussions number -- but hanging it up can bring peace". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
34. Flaherty, Kevin (December 1, 2023). "Rice QB JT Daniels to medically retire from football". 247Sports. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
35. Zucker, Joseph (December 1, 2023). "Ex-USC, Georgia QB JT Daniels Retires from Football Due to Concussion History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
36. Khan Jr., Sam (December 1, 2023). "Rice QB JT Daniels medically retiring". New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
37. McBroom, Will (March 19, 2024). "Former Georgia quarterback lands in-state coaching job". UGA Wire. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
38. Weiszer, Marc (October 10, 2024). "JT Daniels on his time as Georgia football QB, starting coaching career back in state". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

External links

• USC Trojans bio
• Georgia Bulldogs bio
• West Virginia Mountaineers bio
• Rice Owls bio