Should Notre Dame Pursue JT Daniels?

The last time many Notre Dame fans saw USC quarterback JT Daniels on the football field was likely when the then freshman quarterback shredded the vaunted Irish pass defense to the tune of 349 yards.

Daniels is now a former USC quarterback, entering his name into the transfer portal. Daniels is one of the best high school quarterbacks of the last decade, and with three seasons of eligibility he’ll likely be a hot commodity.

Coaches from all over the country will likely beat down his door in hopes of getting the talented signal caller to transfer to their program. The question is, should Notre Dame make a push for Daniels.

THE CASE FOR IT

This one is pretty simple, Daniels is extremely talented and he has experience. During his true freshman campaign, Daniels threw for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns. Those aren’t numbers that will blow anyone away, but he was a true freshman that skipped his senior season to enroll early in college.

I saw Daniels at a Notre Dame camp prior to his sophomore season of high school and he spun the ball as well as any high school or college quarterback I’ve ever seen. USC will likely regret choosing scheme over talent at the quarterback position and letting Daniels walk.

Daniels has a big arm, he’s accurate and he’s a good enough athlete to move the chains if teams lose pass lane discipline. He didn’t show that as a freshman, but go back and watch his junior season in high school and you’ll see a young man with quality athleticism and mobility. As he gets older, stronger and continues adding more experience his ability to dominate with his arm and mind will be enhanced.

If Daniels gets into the right system with the right coach he should once again be on course to develop into a star quarterback. All the tools are there, he just has to mature, use his current circumstance to add some much-needed humility and then turn all of that into motivation to remind everyone of just how talented he is.

Speaking specifically about Notre Dame, Daniels would fit well in the “pass-first” offense that Brian Kelly desires. We’ve seen Kelly’s offense thrive before with a quarterback who wasn’t a runner. Daniels is far more a athletic than Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike was, and Pike was brilliant under Kelly in 2009. Daniels also has significant more physical talent and athleticism than Tommy Rees, who put up impressive passing numbers in 2013.

With the weapons that Notre Dame has landed in recent seasons, and the talent Notre Dame will have blocking for Daniels, there is little doubt the Irish offense could be tremendous with Daniels at the helm.

THE CASE AGAINST IT

The first question that must be asked is whether or not Daniels plans to fight to gain immediate eligibility.

If he does then Notre Dame would not be an option. Let’s be honest, right or wrong, agree or disagree with the decision, there is no scenario I can see where Kelly would actually allow a competition at quarterback. We already saw it with another talented 2018 quarterback (Phil Jurkovec), and I don’t see Kelly allowing Daniels to actually come in and challenge Book.

If Daniels plans on sitting out a season there are other concerning aspects to this. Is Notre Dame place with the kind of culture that would allow an outside like this, and one from USC, to come in and take hold of a leadership position?

There would also need to be questions about Daniels being willing to come in and compete for the job. Will Daniels be looking for a guarantee to start in 2021? I have little doubt he would not only win the starting job, but he would be outstanding in a Notre Dame uniform, but he would still need to earn it.

He would also need to show he’s willing to battle for the position, which would help him win over his teammates. No matter how talented a guy is, a five-star player that is given promises or guarantees is going to create resentment among some teammates if it’s perceived he didn’t have to fight for his position the way everyone else must compete.

THE CONCLUSION

If Daniels is looking for an immediate waiver to play then there is no reason for Notre Dame to waste its time pursuing him. There’s just no way Kelly would allow Daniels to challenge Book. I personally wouldn’t agree with that, but it is what it is.

But if Daniels is willing to sit out a year and compete, then Notre Dame should absolutely make a push for him. It would be foolish not to do so, if we're being honest.

He had early interest in Notre Dame as a high school player, which is why he attended Irish Invasion. There’s a lot Notre Dame could sell to Daniels beyond just having great talent blocking for him and a lot of weapons around him.

Daniels coming on would also be great for Tyler Buchner. I know some Irish fans have convinced themselves that Buchner would be able to come in and win the Heisman Trophy as a true freshman, but the reality is having to sit a year and learn would be ideal. Daniels would be eligible for the 2021 and 2022 seasons, but if he lights it up at Notre Dame in 2021 he would likely have a shot to leave for the NFL.

That would set Buchner and Drew Pyne to battle for the starting job in 2022.

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