When you're talking about the relationship between an offensive coordinator and his quarterback, being on the same page is imperative if they expect to have any kind of significant success.
Assuming JT Daniels does indeed return to the Bulldogs for another year as we expect, that's an area in which he and Todd Monken should indeed excel.
The two talked about that aspect prior to last week’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
“Obviously, we speak the same language, especially in terms of football. It's something that I learn more as the season goes on,” Daniels said. “But even when I wasn't playing... I was hearing all the play calls, so I started learning more and more how he thinks.”
Monken said the fact that Daniels puts so much effort into becoming the best quarterback he can certainly aids the process.
“From my end of it, one thing about it is, he's a sponge. He loves to be coached, loves to have the answers, which is a huge start at the quarterback position,” Monken said. “There are a lot of things you can do with JT where you can keep it as quarterback control, because he's going to study the film; he's going to want to know the answer.”
In the four games he played for Georgia this fall, Daniels certainly answered a lot of questions regarding the Bulldogs’ passing game. He showed why many are excited about the potential can be for next fall.
All total, Daniels completed 80 of 119 passes (67.2 percent) for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns. Multiply each of those numbers out by three—which would expand to the length for your typical 12-game season—and you'd have a year that statistically would rival the best of any Georgia quarterback in school history.
Daniels said the fact he and Monken are already on the same offensive wavelength makes the job much easier than it ordinarily might be.
“At this point, there are times where I'll get the formation signaled in, I'll know exactly what he's calling,” Daniels said. “The more I learn about him, the way he calls the game, the more time we spend together—it just grows and gets better, and we have a better understanding.”
Monken just appreciates the work that Daniels is willing to put in.
“You don't have to tell him everything. You don't have to look to the sideline and change the play. He can do that on his own. He embraces that challenge of being in control,” Monken said. “That's the stuff to being an NFL quarterback—the quarterback being in control. It's been great—from the get-go it was, the amount of work JT is willing to put in to be the player he wants to be. Very few people have a love of the process of playing the game of football like JT does.”
While in the NCAA transfer portal, Daniels said he took the opportunity to speak with numerous offensive coordinators across the country.
However, Monken was the only one with whom he felt an instant connection.
“The thing I tried to do with most coaches was see how they call games, take me through the offense you run, your kind of philosophy,” he said. “There was an instant connection as soon as I watched the first game of Coach Monk on, I think my first Zoom call with him. It was just something that he sees the field very similar to how I see the field. I think we both have a very similar kind of philosophy for how to attack a defense.
“It's something I got to learn originally when we were on Zoom calls when I was getting recruited here. We used to watch film, do whatever we could through transfer portal rules. I think it's just grown and developed.”
Monken agreed.
“I think there's a part of any relationship, I do think right away when we met there was a connection there in terms of what we were looking for, and what he was looking for moving forward,” Monken said. “I think that was a really good start.”
