3 key questions for Georgia QBs, including fate of JT Daniels for 2020 season
This is part of a series to preview Georgia football’s 2020 season through a closer look at each of the Bulldogs’ positions. Today we’re looking at the quarterbacks.
Key Departures: Jake Fromm
Projected Depth Chart: Jamie Newman, J.T. Daniels (see first question), D’Wan Mathis
Will JT Daniels’ transfer waiver be approved?
Georgia’s quarterback competition got a lot more interesting on May 29, when former five-star recruit and Southern Cal quarterback J.T. Daniels announced his intention to transfer to the Bulldogs.
Daniels started 11 games for the Trojans as a true freshman in 2018, passing for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He missed most of 2019 after suffering a knee injury in the season opener.
An immediate eligibility waiver is still needed for Daniels to be able to see the field in 2020. The depth chart listed above assumes no waiver for Daniels. If he receives one, he will vie for the starting job with Wake Forest transfer Jamie Newman, who had been assumed to be the starter heading toward the fall.
An approved waiver means three remaining years of eligibility, while a denial means two. Daniels’ decision to transfer will affect the Georgia quarterback room not just this season, but for years to come.
How will the coronavirus pandemic affect preparation?
COVID-19 is affecting season preparation for teams across college athletics. For Georgia, coaching staff turnover adds an extra twist to the complications.
The Bulldogs are learning a new offense under offensive coordinator Todd Monken in his first season in Athens. Spring practice, a vital period for installing a new scheme, was canceled due to the pandemic. Summer workouts have been shortened as well.
That doesn’t necessarily spell doom for the Georgia offense in 2020. But for a team breaking in a new quarterback, every day of installation is vital.
Who will still be in Athens at the end of the season?
The addition of Daniels could send ripples of subtraction through the Georgia quarterback room.
With multiple years of eligibility left for the USC transfer and five-star Brock Vandagriff coming to Athens with the Class of 2021, some players could feel edged out. D’Wan Mathis and Carson Beck might feel their paths to playing time will be blocked for their entire college career.
Will redshirts be used for either Beck or Mathis? Will one or both decide to transfer at some point? Will Daniels’ waiver even be approved? All these questions still need answers which in turn will shape the future of the quarterback position in Athens.