JT Daniels Watch Officially Comes to an End
As we approach the two year anniversary of this platform starting up, one of our first stories has come full circle. You may remember that I wrote about JT Daniels before. If you weren’t with us at that point, quick recap. Daniels was a highly touted quarterback coming out of high school and committed to USC long before Lincoln Riley showed up. His first year was a bit bumpy, but there was hope we would improve. The plan was for he and high school teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown (now with the Lions) to tear it up. Well, in year two of the JT Daniels era, he tore his ACL. Subsequently, he lost the job and transferred to Georgia. He looked good when he got a shot combining for 17 touchdowns to five picks in two years with the Bulldogs. But due injuries and the emergence of Stetson Bennett, he fell by the wayside again.
What Happened Next?
Daniels entered the portal again. A subscriber at the time correctly predicted that he would transfer to West Virginia. He got another chance to start and it was another rough year. 13 touchdowns to nine interceptions as an upperclassman is not the best stat line over the course of a season. Knowing he was most likely on his last chance, Daniels transferred for the fourth time, this time to Rice.
He had a really good year and threw for 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions. His best stretch as a starter and the most passing yards since his freshman season. Sounds like he got back on track and maybe he would get a look by the scouts. Sadly, that is not going to be the case. A recent report indicated that due to multiple concussions, the doctors informed him that he has no choice but to retire.
Big Picture
This is a very sad and unfortunate situation. I said it before and I’ll say it again, I feel bad for JT Daniels. A kid with a lot of talent and a lot of promise who just ran into some bad luck. He hopes to pursue a career in coaching as a plan B. Clearly the knowledge is there after being around so many coaches, offenses, teams, etc. It would be a good asset to have. Does anyone remember Davis Webb? He was a third round pick and was mostly a backup, but recently became the QB coach for the Broncos. That is the blueprint that Daniels needs to follow now. We always talk about networking to build the people around you, and that’s what he will have to do. Hit up every coach you played for and let him know what the plan is, and see if they can not only give you a job, but point you in the right direction. Having to start as a general assistant or QB coach could lead to offensive coordinator opportunities in a few years. If anyone can do it, JT Daniels is the person up for the challenge.