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UGA football roster: JT Daniels, quarterback of the future or the present?

By Kyle Funderburk

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback JT Daniels #18 of the USC Trojans attempts a pass in the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 13: Quarterback JT Daniels #18 of the USC Trojans attempts a pass in the first quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 13, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
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With JT Daniels eligible, UGA football has a competitive quarterback battle heading into the upcoming college football season.

UGA football had the No. 1 quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class, but Justin Fields transferred to Ohio State. The No. 2 quarterback in the class, Trevor Lawrence, was another peach state product, but he’s a superstar at Clemson. With an immediate and future need at quarterback, why not bring in the No. 3 player?

That’s what Georgia did by pulling former Southern California starter JT Daniels from the transfer portal. Despite transferring, Daniels is eligible for the upcoming season and is classified as a redshirt sophomore, meaning he’ll have two more years of eligibility after this season.

Daniels had a decent freshman season in an otherwise porous Trojan offense. He had 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and an alright 59.9 completion percentage. His sophomore season with a new offensive coordinator was looking good as he passed for 215 yards with a 73.5 completion percentage in the season opener, but a torn ACL ended his season.

One thing Daniels clearly understands is how much the height of a pass matters. He throws his deep balls with a high arch, making them easy for receivers to un under or adjust to. He throws his bullet passes high and over the heads of defenders. Daniels is also a tough pocket passer with some deceptive athleticism. He’s not phased by the blitz and can even avoid defenders at times.

The negative part of his game is that he’s a bit of a gunslinger. Hanging out in the pocket and launching bombs downfield is great when throwing towards favorable matchups. But he tends to take too many unnecessary risks. That only cost him 11 interceptions against Pac 12 defenses. Florida, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Texas A&M will make him pay for those throws.

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At the very least, Daniels will provide much-needed competition for assumed starter Jamie Newman. At best, Georgia just brought in a potential three-year starter who already has a year of power-five starting experience under his belt.

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