These Games Are Why JT Daniels Came To Georgia

Quarterback JT Daniels is preparing for the biggest game of his career on Saturday, but the signal caller has proven that he is up for the challenge.

The Georgia Bulldogs are in the midst of their preparation for the Clemson Tigers, and one thing is clear a few days before kickoff: quarterback JT Daniels will be the most important player on the field.

Clemson boasts one of the best defensive units in all of college football, and Georgia has suffered several key injuries throughout fall camp. Therefore, all eyes will be on No. 18 when he takes the field, as the entire nation is wondering if he can deliver for Georgia.

These games are precisely why Daniels transferred to Athens in the first place. Daniels started twelve games at USC and only played against one top-10 opponent, Notre Dame. He has repeatedly stated how different the level of competition is in the SEC compared to the Pac-12.

During his presser at SEC Media day, Daniels talked about how special the SEC is and what kind of athlete you must be to compete in the league.

"There's a lot of great quarterbacks and a lot of great players in the SEC. That's probably one of the first things I've learned since I got here. I don't care if you are a third-stringer in the SEC; if you are playing football in this conference, you are a really good player."

After the 2019 season, Daniels announced that he would be transferring from USC to Georgia, despite never setting foot in Athens. Upon his arrival, Daniels marveled at how serious football is in the southeast. Fans breathe football down south, which is exactly what Daniels does.

“Football is just another thing on the west coast I would say is kind of how it felt versus football being the thing here. I remember driving in, it’s the first thing I remember from being in Georgia from when my family and I drove from the Atlanta airport to Athens. Just seeing the Georgia flag flying and the Georgia Bulldog flag flying everywhere. I just really came to experience what it’s like, you know having football be such a main focal point and such a communal aspect. But for me I loved it since I’ve gotten here and I still do. And I’ve been vocal about how much I really love being here and the way that it functions. For me it wasn’t much of an adjustment, that’s how I've been my whole life." - Daniels on his transition to Georgia

In his inaugural season with Georgia, Daniels started four games, winning each one. He threw for 1,231 yards and ten touchdowns against just two interceptions. He capped off his tremendous season by leading the team to a come from behind win against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl.

Coming into the 2021 season, national pundits expect Daniels to be one of the best players in all of college football. The SEC coaches voted Daniels to the preseason All-SEC second-team, and he also made the watchlist for the Walter Camp Award, given to the best college football player every season.

It would be easy to let this preseason hype get to his head, but sources around the program have told Dawgs Daily that Daniels has had an impressive offseason. He is an incredibly grounded individual that has won the locker room this offseason.

Head coach Kirby Smart noted that Daniels spends more time in the film room than any player on the roster. JT is interested in the subtle nuances of the game, and he has been carefully studying this Clemson defense all offseason.

He spoke about the importance of the Clemson game back at SEC Media Day. Here is what Daniels had to say about the top-5 matchup:

"As good as Clemson is, it's important for us to not look at them as any different from any other opponent. At the end of the day, we are going there and playing football. That's what we do."

The spotlight hasn't proved too big for Daniels yet. Millions will be tuned in on Saturday night, and JT finally gets his chance to put college football on notice.

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