JT Daniels Could Return For a Senior Season
The injuries to JT Daniels this season could become a blessing in disguise for both Georgia and JT Daniels himself. The junior signal-caller has missed four games in 2021 due to injury, with three out of the four coming in the most recent three-game stretch.
The consensus thought coming into 2021 was that the former USC transfer would leave Athens after this season to pursue a career in the NFL Draft, assuming that Daniels picked up where he left off in 2020. Now just seven games into the season, the junior quarterback's only full game that he has played in was the 10-3 season-opening win over Clemson.
Redshirt senior Stetson Bennett is the hot hand for Georgia at quarterback. The one-time starting quarterback in six of Georgia's games in 2020 is 4-0 as Georgia's starter this year, with three of those wins coming against ranked opponents.
Bennett is making consistent improvements in his decision-making and downfield passing. Bennett's performance now is creating a sense of "competition" or "controversy," depending on which media member you talk to about the quarterback situation.
Daniels could make his return next Saturday against Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, for the annual rivalry game with the Gators. Daniels' return would be just the seventh start for the USC transfer as a Bulldog.
Even if Daniels is the starter the rest of the way in 2021, it still does not change the fact that his in-game experience will lack compared to other Draft eligible quarterbacks. Game tape is one of the most important aspects of a players' evaluation for the NFL Draft like it is for recruiting high school prospects.
The lack of games and stats could lead to Daniels receiving a less than stellar draft grade at the end of the 2021 season. However, the multitude of injuries to Daniels will likely be a huge reason if the California native opts to return for his senior season in 2022.
Even before the season, Daniels was being projected anywhere from the 8th to the 11th quarterback in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. Perhaps he forgoes his additional years of eligibility to enter the draft early, but he'd be doing so for a 3rd or 4th round pick at best at this point in his career.
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