Former USC quarterback JT Daniels announces immediate eligibility at Georgia

Southern California photo / Former Southern California quarterback JT Daniels announced Monday on social media that he is immediately eligible to play at Georgia.
Southern California photo / Former Southern California quarterback JT Daniels announced Monday on social media that he is immediately eligible to play at Georgia.

Georgia will not be lacking for experienced quarterbacks provided there is a 2020 college football season.

JT Daniels, who transferred to Athens in late May after beginning his career at Southern California, announced Monday via Twitter that he is eligible to compete right away in the Southeastern Conference.

"Thank you to the NCAA for granting me immediate eligibility and allowing me to play football this fall," Daniels wrote. "I will not comment on the waiver or transfer but look forward to a great 2020 season with my teammates."

The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Irvine, California, completed 241 of 397 passes (60.7%) for 2,887 yards and 15 touchdowns with 11 interceptions during his time with the Trojans. Most of that production occurred in 2018, when the five-star signee and the No. 2 pro-style quarterback recruit nationally behind Clemson's Trevor Lawrence became USC's first true freshman to start a season opener at that position since Matt Barkley in 2009.

Daniels began last season as the starter and shredded Fresno State on 15-of-17 passing for 114 yards and a touchdown during the first quarter, but he tore his anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee late in the half. He received a redshirt year, so he will have three seasons of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

In January, Georgia added Wake Forest graduate transfer Jamie Newman, whom Pro Football Focus ranks as college football's third-best quarterback for 2020 behind Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields.

Fields played behind Jake Fromm as a freshman for the Bulldogs during the 2018 season but transferred and received immediate eligibility with the Buckeyes.

Newman has one year of eligibility at Georgia.

The Bulldogs also have redshirt junior Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on who played in five games last year as Fromm's backup, and redshirt freshman D'Wan Mathis, who missed last season after undergoing surgery to have a cyst removed on his brain, at quarterback.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.

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