Quarterback JT Daniels made it official on Tuesday. He is returning to Georgia for another year.
Daniels made the announcement on Twitter.
Obviously, this qualifies as tremendous news for the Bulldogs.
In four games, Daniels completed 80 of 119 passes (67.2 percent) for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Daniels hinted Monday that such a decision was coming, but according to a source with intricate knowledge of the situation, was going to do his “due diligence” before making his decision official.
It is now official.
Daniels’ return will also ensure the Bulldogs have one of the most experienced returning quarterbacks in the SEC, as Alabama’s Mac Jones, Florida’s Kyle Trask and Kellen Mond are all headed to the NFL.
“There is a lot of talent on the roster. There are guys, as fans, not many have seen yet. People have seen Arian Smith make one catch; Jermaine is growing a lot. You have a whole young group of O-linemen that work every day. I've got to see them grow, guys like Sedrick Van Pran, see how they attack the game,” Daniels said last week. “I think you have a really good class of young guys that aren't just talented but are also guys that enjoy the game of football. They show up every day with a good attitude. They are here to learn and get better. It is something good to see, something I think you will get to see as they grow. You'll see a lot of it next year.”
Last week, Bulldog left tackle Jamaree Salyer talked about what having the combination of Daniels and offensive coordinator Todd Monken would mean for the offense next fall.
“I think he gives us a good chance to be explosive. He is very critical. He is very demanding. He likes what he likes. He likes things to look a certain way, if not, keep doing it over and over and over again. We take a rep on one play five or six times until we get it right. He is very particular. I give us a chance to be explosive,” Salyer said. “We still have the same physical run game we had. We had games when JT threw 300 yards, almost 400 yards. Yeah, we have a chance to be really truly balanced under Coach Monken. I'm glad he's here.”
Fellow offensive lineman Warren Ericson agreed.
“To bounce off that, he's very particular in what he wants. He is going to coach us as hard as he possibly can. He demands perfection. That is something as players we respect,” Ericson said. “We go out on Saturdays; we want to get it perfect. The practice aspect has been really good. Like Jamaree said, just being a balanced attack. We want to throw the ball really well, really hard. He came in, had that mindset. I think we kind of accepted his plan. We'll just keep rolling with it.”
Monken believes the future remains bright.
Although it certainly is possible that some of Georgia’s offensive underclassmen could elect to leave or turn pro, Monken believes the cupboards are anything but bare.
“When I first got here and I saw some of the young skill players, some of the freshmen wideouts, the backs we had—I think we have a chance to be really good on offense. I don't know when it all comes together as a staff, when do I do it better for our players, when do our guys mature,” Monken said. “George (Pickens) is still a young player as well. When those guys start to mature a little bit. I think you have a really good class of young guys who are not just talented but are also guys who enjoy the game of football. They show up every day with a good attitude. They are here to learn and get better. It is something good to see, something I think you will get to see as they grow. You'll see a lot of it next year.”