USC QB JT Daniels has entered the transfer portal. What five teams would be a strong fit for him?
Get ready for the feeding frenzy.
JT Daniels was a five-star recruit out of USC quarterback training ground Mater Dei High School – Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley, Todd Marinovich – who was expected to be the next great Trojan superstar.
And now he has entered the transfer portal.
He left high school before his senior year, earned the starting job right away, and he went through the early growing pains as a too-young prospect being thrown to the wolves. In 2018, he hit close to 60% of his passes for 2.672 yards with 14 touchdowns and ten picks.
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But it was all supposed to come together in 2019 with offensive coordinator Graham Harrell running a pass-happy offense that was a perfect fit for Daniels. He connected on 25-of-34 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown with a pick in the opener against Fresno State before getting knocked out for the game and the season with a torn ACL. Kedon Slovis stepped in, put up massive numbers, and now Daniels is looking elsewhere to play.
BREAKING: #USC QB JT Daniels is entering the Transfer Portal. pic.twitter.com/3hvrEoKtd3
— Josh An (@_imjoshan) April 16, 2020
What are the five best teams for him? Where should he be looking? There a two big factors in this.
1. Daniels is still getting healthy. He wouldn’t have been able to go in USC spring ball, but he was expected to be all-systems-go in fall camp. If there isn’t a college football season – or if it’s delayed – he’ll be that much healthier.
2. Is it possible he could be eligible right away? The NCAA has been hinting that it’ll go with the one-time transfer exemption for players without the year-long eligibility penalty. There are several places that could use Daniels right away, but there has to be some eye on the 2021 season in case the transfer rule doesn’t kick in, or if there’s a problem with the 2020 season.
Let’s assume the NCAA will run with the transfer rule exemption and Daniels will be allowed to play right away.
He’s not a runner, but he’s a 6-3, 210-pound passer with high-end skills and the upside to start from the moment he joins a new team.
Five schools that would be a good fit for Daniels are …