Tag: jt daniels miss st

What to expect from JT Daniels vs. Mississippi State

USC transfer quarterback JT Daniels is set to make his first start as a Georgia Bulldog vs. Mississippi State. Here’s what to expect.

We are now in the JT Daniels chapter of the ever stressful Georgia quarterback drama.

The USC transfer quarterback is set to make his first career start as a Georgia Bulldog vs. Mississippi State in Athens on Saturday night.

After redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis’ start at signal caller vs. Arkansas in the season-opener, junior Stetson Bennett has received the majority of the snaps and has started each game until this week, which is due, in part, to a shoulder separation injury suffered in the loss to Florida.

We expected to see Daniels get on the field a bit earlier than the seventh game of the season and there were plenty of opportunities to get his feet wet, however Daniels’ mobility on his surgically repaired left knee has been an issue.

As the season has progressed, Georgia coach Kirby Smart has been more open about Daniels’ knee and mobility concerns.

“His mobility has been better,” Smart said in a press conference Wednesday.

Aug 31, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback JT Daniels (16) throws a pass against the Fresno State Bulldogs in the first quarter at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

As a freshman at USC in 2018, Daniels threw for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He entered the transfer portal in mid-April after his sophomore season was derailed by an ACL tear.

Daniels was the third rated quarterback in the 2018 recruiting class behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields and while at USC, he showed flashes of an elite passer, like here on his first touchdown pass of his collegiate career.

But what kind of expectations should Georgia fans have for Daniels in his first start?

Put simply, the only expectations DawgNation should have is a Georgia win.

Coach Mike Leach and the Bulldogs from Starkville are limping into Athens. 17 players have either opted-out of this season or have transferred on top of more players being forced to miss tonight’s game because of COVID testing.

In turn, Georgia should make quick work of Mississippi State tonight and Daniels should preform well as a result, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves here and make sure to remember who we are playing.

I’m looking for Daniels to show command of the offense by hitting the easy throws that we haven’t been able to hit all season.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken and company have done a good job of getting guys open, but Bennett and Mathis’ inaccuracy has been the issue.

If Daniels can hit those easy throws, show leadership and protect the football, I think we can walk away from this one feeling good about 2021.

 

 

 

Report: JT Daniels to start Saturday vs. Mississippi State

According to a report from Matt Zenitz, USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels is set to get his first start for Georgia on Saturday night.

According to a Wednesday night report from Matt Zenitz of Al.com, USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels is set to get his first start for Georgia on Saturday night, taking over for junior Stetson Bennett, who has been battling a shoulder injury.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart told reporters in his Mississippi State press conference on Wednesday that all quarterbacks have been competing during Georgia’s extra week-off after last week’s game vs. Missouri was postponed due to COVID-19 inside the Tigers’ program.

Either Bennett or redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis have played every snap at signal caller this year, making Saturday not only Daniels’ first start, but also his first ever snaps as a Georgia Bulldog.

As a freshman at USC in 2018, Daniels threw for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He entered the transfer portal in mid-April after his sophomore season was derailed by a knee injury. USC’s Kedon Slovis stepped in while Daniels was down and played well for the Trojans, making the transfer portal one of the only options for Daniels.

Since his arrival in Athens, Daniels has nursed his previously injured knee, taking snaps as scout team quarterback and taking some first team reps, but his mobility has kept him from seeing the field, until now.

“His mobility is getting better,” Smart said in his Wednesday press conference.

It will be fascinating to see what Daniels can do with limited reps, he will be facing a subpar Mississippi State defense rated at No. 35 in the country, so I expect to see his experience and throwing ability shine Saturday night.

—

Make sure you’re caught up on Georgia Football before the game! I breakdown everything you need to know before the Dawgs take on Mississippi State in this week’s episode of the UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton podcast, featuring special guest, former UGA All-American punter Drew Butler. Listen here: