Kyusung Gong/Associated Press

Former USC QB JT Daniels Announces He's Transferring to Georgia

Adam Wells

JT Daniels has found a new home after committing to play quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs. 

The former USC Trojan announced his decision on Twitter:

USC head coach Clay Helton released a statement last month saying Daniels entered his name into the transfer portal but left open the possibility he could return to the team:

"We have been working with JT and his family, as well as our compliance office, to help him navigate the process of entering his name in the transfer portal. It is his desire to explore all of his options going into the 2020 season. We will continue to support JT in every way possible and help him through his decision, including the option of staying on with our football team."

Daniels arrived at USC with a lot of hype before the 2018 season. He was a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The only quarterback ranked ahead of him was Trevor Lawrence.

After a modest start to Daniels' Trojans career, his sophomore campaign ended in the second quarter of the season opener against Fresno State when he tore his ACL.

Kedon Slovis took over as the starter as a true freshman and never looked back. The Arizona native was named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year after throwing for 3,502 yards, 30 touchdowns and an NCAA freshman-record 71.3 completion percentage.

One advantage Daniels has by choosing to transfer now is he still has time to develop into the quarterback everyone expected him to be out of high school.

Daniels' freshman year was hit-and-miss with 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, but not every star player comes out of the gate like Lawrence or Tua Tagovailoa. He gets to work with a new coaching staff in an environment where the weight of expectations won't drown him.

Even though Daniels has to sit out the 2020 season because of NCAA transfer rules, he will have time to get his knee back to full strength and compete for a starting job with the Bulldogs in 2021.

Georgia has an uncertain quarterback situation after Jake Fromm headed to the NFL. Jamie Newman, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, could be in the mix for the starting job this season. 

True freshman Carson Beck, a 4-star prospect, has a high ceiling. Stetson Bennett is a redshirt junior who appeared in five games last season but has never started a game. 

All of this leaves head coach Kirby Smart with a lot of immediate and long-term questions at quarterback. Daniels' won't be eligible until next year, but he can become the Bulldogs starter when he can play.

   

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