JT Daniels Could Provide Sun Devils Spark at Quarterback
The dust has settled on news of Arizona State Sun Devils starting quarterback Jayden Daniels entering the transfer portal, as most ASU fans are now focused on moving forward into the future.
It's been an offseason of change for Arizona State that's featured five assistant coaches depart the program and a wealth of players leaving ASU via graduation, draft preparation and transfer portal with Daniels becoming the latest instance.
The Sun Devils will take the field without Daniels for the first time since 2018, as a new leader of the offense will be under center when the 2022 season is underway.
A handful of candidates believe they'll be in the mix for that starting spot, although quarterbacks Trenton Bourguet and Paul Tyson appear to be the two strongest choices for Arizona State.
Bourguet (5-foot-11, 180 pounds) has appeared in a total of five games for Arizona State in two seasons, with a total of eight passes completed on 12 attempts for 115 yards and one touchdown.
Tyson (6-foot-5, 228 pounds) finished his career at Alabama going 10-of-16 passing for 150 yards prior to entering the transfer portal this offseason. Tyson redshirted his first two years at Alabama before appearing in 12 games for the Crimson Tide in 2021, mostly on special teams.
Bourguet and Tyson are career backups to this point, as whoever emerges as the No. 1 for Arizona State will get their first taste of starting in 2022.
With Daniels assumingly out of the picture (he can return, but Arizona State does not have to honor his scholarship), the Sun Devils would be wise to continue to search for viable options at quarterback, especially a passer with starting experience.
Meet Georgia quarterback JT Daniels.
JT Daniels Could Provide Sun Devils Spark at Quarterback
Daniels (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) announced he was hitting the transfer portal on Jan. 19 after two seasons at Georgia, where he transferred after initially signing with USC.
Daniels will arrive to his new team as a technical redshirt senior, but will carry two years of eligibility thanks to 2020's COVID season offering an extra year for all players.
Daniels is a former five-star quarterback who ranked only behind Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields in the 2018 recruiting class. A season-ending knee injury for Daniels saw the emergence of Kedon Slovis at USC, pushing Daniels out of the picture and eventually landing him with the Bulldogs.
Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett took advantage of more injuries to Daniels this past season, ultimately taking charge of the starting job and leading the Bulldogs to a national championship.
In 10 games played for Georgia, Daniels completed 69% of his passes for 1,953 yards and 17 touchdowns to only five interceptions.
The transfer portal has seen numerous talented quarterbacks find new teams in recent months, with few desirable locations left for picking.
However, Arizona State's recent opening could become a potential landing spot for Daniels, where he would be the favorite to win the starting job immediately upon arrival.
Daniels already has starting experience at pristine programs such as USC and Georgia with 21 combined appearances and has proven he can succeed in the Pac-12 thanks to his previous experience with the Trojans.
His talented arm would be a welcome sight for a Sun Devils program that just added offensive coordinator Glenn Thomas, a former Atlanta Falcons coach who is largely credited with helping quarterback Matt Ryan reach new levels in his career.
The jury is still out on Bourguet and Tyson, two unproven quarterbacks who are set to compete against each other in spring practice. Neither passer is believed to be a player who could lead Arizona State to the heights they desire in 2022.
Daniels very well could, and should ASU find a way to land him, the Sun Devils would receive a significant upgrade at the quarterback position.