QB Daniels and West Virginia a good fit for each other

West Virginia had specific criteria when it came to addressing the quarterback position and Georgia transfer JT Daniels had the same when it came to picking a school.

Turns out both had what the other needed.

Daniels committed to the Mountaineers following an official visit April 13 and ultimately would sign with the program a few weeks later giving the coaches a proven veteran option under center.

The former five-star prospect started his career at USC before transferring to Georgia where he passed for 1,953 yards with 17 touchdowns and 5 interceptions and was 7-0 as a starter for the Bulldogs.

Injuries were ultimately his undoing at both schools as a torn ACL ended his year one game into his sophomore season with the Trojans and more injuries cost him the starting job last season at Georgia.

Brown addressed the top in a conversation with PFF.

“He was a guy that was at the end of his career. We wanted somebody that could fit in our locker room and we wanted somebody with experience and really had established himself,” head coach Neal Brown said. “If you look at what JT has done, I have a lot of respect for him.”

Brown was especially impressed with how Daniels battled back from multiple injuries and won the starting job at Georgia not once, but twice during his two seasons with the team.

“When he’s been healthy, he’s played at a high level,” he said.

Daniels was looking to close out his career at a place that offered him not only a chance to compete for the starting job but the opportunity to win. While he took other official visits to Oregon State and Missouri, the draw of playing for his former offensive coordinator at USC in Graham Harrell proved strong. And the returning roster around him was yet another draw to Morgantown.

That’s because the Mountaineers return all five offensive linemen, a stable of running backs as well as a pair of established wide receivers in Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Sam James along with a promising up and comer in Kaden Prather. Throw all of that together and it made sense for a lot of reasons.

“Those things I think were really appealing to him and we play defense at a high level so I think he felt good,” Brown said. “The fact that Graham was here and he spent a full spring and a full fall with Graham at USC. Knew the system, there was a level of comfort with Graham and all those things worked.”

Daniels is expected to enter into a quarterback competition that will feature three relatively unproven options that battled it out this past spring in Garrett Greene, Will Crowder and Nicco Marchiol. He has two years left in his career with the Mountaineers once he arrives on campus.

“This was a really good fit for him and JT was a good fit for us,” Brown said.

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