JT Daniels Making Progress Ahead of Florida Gators vs. Georgia
You won't many Florida fans who are feeling giddy about the Gators' upcoming matchup with the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 30. Given the two upset losses that Florida has suffered in the past three weeks, many are expecting an ugly game for UF in Jacksonville.
Things could get even uglier for the Gators if the latest Bulldogs' injury update is indicative of anything.
UGA head coach Kirby Smart revealed on Tuesday that starting quarterback JT Daniels, who has missed the Bulldogs' last three games with a strained lat muscle, has increased his workload in progress and is not dealing with any pain or discomfort.
“JT, his pitch count increased,” Smart told local media. “He got up to 65 or 70 throws [on Monday], pain-free, increasing his distance around 40-45 yards. Hopefully, we’ll know more today."
A week ago, Smart revealed that Daniels' pitch-count hovered between 30-40 passes in practice and that, although there was some minor soreness while making throws, Daniels was on the right track.
Smart added on Tuesday that Daniels will "get some quality reps and see what kind of velocity he’s got" this week.
Fortunately for Daniels, he has a week and a half to continue rehabbing and getting back to full health before taking on the Gators as both programs are on a bye week. Should Daniels progress to the point where he is green-lit to play against Florida, Smart will be left with a choice to start one of two impressive quarterbacks against a lost Florida team.
UF hasn't struggled significantly against the pass this season, but Daniels and his backup Stetson Bennett IV have been more productive than the majority of quarterbacks that Florida has faced. Daniels got off to a solid start this season by completing 76.1% of his passes for 567 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in three games.
Bennett IV, meanwhile, has completed 71.7% of his passes for 769 yards, 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions in games that Daniels has missed.
You won't find many fans or analysts picking the Gators over the Bulldogs as is next Saturday. WIth Daniels potentially being available to play, the odds will only continue to slide in Georgia's favor.
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