Former Georgia quarterback JT Daniels makes transfer decision

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback JT Daniels is transferring to West Virginia to play for the Mountaineers, marking his third collegiate transfer.

In 2020, then-USC Trojans quarterback JT Daniels believed he might see more opportunity playing for the Georgia Bulldogs. A torn ACL sidelined Daniels in 2019, and Kedon Slovis took over at the position. Two years later, Daniels saw a similar situation play out at Georgia, only there was more at stake. Daniels boasted impressive stats when he did lead the Bulldogs, but injuries nagged at him again until expected back Stetson Bennett took over.

Bennett played up in the 2021 Orange Bowl, earning him the starting job in the 2021 NCAA Championship game. The Bulldogs won, Bennett helped the team make history, and he declared his intention of returning to play out his senior season.

Pushed out of the starting role once again, Daniels is now headed for greener pastures, transferring to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers for his final season of college football.

JT Daniels transfers to West Virginia to lead the Mountaineers in 2022

Through three schools and two transfers, Daniels now finds optimism in the potential he sees on the West Virginia roster.

“Going up and down the roster, I feel like they have very, very good pieces everywhere,” Daniels told ESPN in a phone interview. “It feels like a great fit for quarterback. I feel like there’s a really, really, really good team that I’m going to step into and do my part to contribute.”

Part of why Daniels chose West Virginia is because he will be reunited with Mountaineers offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who was the offensive coordinator for the Trojans in 2019.

In speaking with ESPN, Daniels also addressed how injuries have plagued him in his brief collegiate career, saying he takes “personal accountability” for them.

“The No. 1 thing (that I need to prove) is that I can stay healthy,” Daniels said. “If there’s one thing I haven’t proven, it’s that. I’ve missed 35 games in three years.”

Daniels will face a familiar competitor in his first game for West Virginia in a rivalry with Pittsburgh known as the “Backyard Brawl.” Leading Pittsburgh is none other than former USC teammate Kedon Slovis, who also transferred and finds himself in Pittsburgh in 2022.