USC’s J.T. Daniels poised to be Trojans’ next star quarterback
J.T. Daniels is ready for his chance to put his name among the greats that have played the quarterback position for the USC Trojans.
The USC Trojans only bother themselves with chasing the best quarterbacks that the country has to offer. Typically, that means chasing the best local arm out of the state of California, and that has paid off for them for several decades and national championships.
When taking command of an offense that has featured multiple Heisman award winners, there are plenty of big shoes to fill. Pat Haden, Sam Darnold, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart are just some of the many quarterbacks that have made their name in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum each Saturday.
After delivering a Rose Bowl one season and a Pac-12 Championship the next, Darnold exits with a high bar intact for the next quarterback to fill in. The Trojans might go quarterback by committee in 2018, but there is absolutely no question about who is the future of the quarterback position.
After putting up big numbers at Mater Dei, J.T. Daniels comes in with plenty of hype to USC. He re-classified so that he would have the opportunity to play for the Trojans in 2018. He just turned 18 years of age earlier this year and would be one of the youngest starting quarterbacks in college football if he wins the job.
At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Daniels will have some filling out to do as he matures, but he has the tools that USC loves from their quarterbacks. He has a strong arm and comes in with great passing ability for his age. It’s fitting that he comes from the Mater Dei program out of Santa Ana.
The high school has proved to be a pot of gold for the Trojans in the past, producing Leinart and Matt Barkley. That alone should give the program a pretty good feeling about what to expect from Daniels coming in.
Last season at Mater Dei, the five-star quarterback prospect threw for 4,123 yards along with 52 touchdowns to just four interceptions. If that wasn’t impressive enough, he threw for 67 touchdowns the season prior.
Not only does Daniels walk in with the opportunity to be the man for the Trojans, he can also lift the program and the conference. While the Trojans are coming off of some strong seasons with Darnold at the helm, the team hasn’t really been in the national title conversation near the end of the season for close to over a decade now.
The Pac-12 as a whole has seen some great teams come close with Oregon and Washington making big pushes, but the Trojans feel like a team that could maybe one day bring a title back to the conference.
Right now, USC’s strength looks to be their defense this upcoming season as some key offensive positions are in transition. The quicker that Daniels can assimilate and take over, whether this upcoming season or next, the faster Clay Helton’s program can ascend in the conference.
The Pac-12 needs a program that can be consistent at the top. After a 1-8 bowl record this past year and still an ongoing network drag out with DirecTV going, the conference needs a turnaround in the worst way.
There are strong programs in the north that should help boost things along and Chip Kelly should have rival UCLA trending in the right direction. For the conference to capture the eyes of the nation again, they need the Trojans to become the powerhouse they long were.
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The past two seasons in Trojans football have been strong but there still remains a lot of work to be done for where they want to go. Having a generational quarterback can put them on the fast track to that place. If Daniels is as good as advertised when he hits the field in the summer, then Helton may have no choice but to line up his newest quarterback under center right away.
The Pac-12 South has proven to run through Los Angeles more times than not. There are schools in a position to change that dynamic, even one in the same city. If J.T. Daniels can be as good as expected, that dynamic should stay intact for USC.