QB JT Daniels' growth will be the pivotal storyline of USC's 2019 season
USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell used the word "consistent" seven times Wednesday to either describe quarterback JT Daniels or the needs of the offense that the sophomore best exhibited while earning the starting job again.
Of course, the expectation when Daniels joined the program as a much-ballyhooed 5-star newcomer a year ago was for him to be more spectacular than steady.
He still has that potential and the opportunity to prove it heading into his second season, but Daniels says he's not worried what the perception is coming off his uneven freshman debut.
"I don't really listen," he said of the critics who remain vocal after his role in USC's 5-7 season last fall. "I'm not excited to go out there and prove them wrong -- I'm just excited to play football."
Opinions around the second-year signal-caller from nearby national powerhouse Mater Dei High School are as divided and unrelenting as the current political discourse. Those with a strong opinion are dug in on it.
It seems either one believes that because Daniels didn't deliver on weighty expectations right away at USC that he never will, or conversely that going from what seemed like a broken offense last fall to a simpler scheme suited to many of his strengths might just unlock that immense potential he carried onto campus.
But what does Daniels think? He was asked directly Wednesday -- in his first media session since being officially named the starter again a day earlier -- what he thinks will be the biggest reason why this season is different for him.
"I think the system fits the whole team and if the system fits the team, the system fits every player. Every player should have a better year if they feel comfortable and they feel more confident," he said. "Also, I just have another year of experience."
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Interestingly, when asked what excites him most about Daniels' potential this fall, Harrell also turned it back to the offense as a whole, but it rang a little different -- as if he was hesitant to dish praise on the starter like he did with freshman backup Kedon Slovis, whom he called a "special talent" and more.
"He was just the most consistent throughout, and in this offense that's what you've got to be. You've got to be consistent and he was the most consistent, so he won the job," Harrell said after practice Wednesday.
He was also asked in what ways he's seen Daniels grow the most and what might be the biggest difference in the quarterback from year one to year two?
"I think we've simplified things obviously from what they've done, and in the spring I think he overanalyzed a lot of things and that's one thing that we always talk about is play fast, play with good tempo and set the tempo for the offense and don't try to over analyze things -- just see it and go," Harrell said. "I think that's probably where he's improved the most."
It's clear Daniels has not only parts of the fanbase still to win over but also to some degree his new offensive coordinator.
But most observers who watched USC's preseason practices will concur that the sophomore was indeed the steadiest, the most consistent.
"I think there's been a lot of growth in consistency. I think coach [Clay] Helton's been very complimentary to me with that. I've also made a big emphasis in pocket movement and just pocket mobility in general," Daniels said, self-critiquing his progress.
Meanwhile, a couple of Daniels' wide receivers offered their perspective on why he's a particularly good fit for this version of the Air Raid that USC has installed, a scheme that puts a priority on QBs being decisive, quick and accurate in finding the open man.
"The biggest difference with him in this offense, I feel like it really shows his arm capabilities. It shows his touch, it shows his ability to scan defenses," senior wideout Michael Pittman said.
Said redshirt junior Velus Jones: "His quickness and his awareness and stuff like that, he sees the field way faster since it's a fast-paced offense. His awareness is all the way up and he gets the ball out a lot faster now. That's really exciting to see."
Daniels completed 59.5 percent of his passes last season for 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while starting all but the one game he missed due to a concussion.
He led USC to its biggest win of the season, throwing for 241 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INT to beat an eventual-11-win Washington State team. He also struggled with multiple interceptions in four games.
His ups and downs happened within games as well, as he was often very effective and efficient in the first halves before he and the offense -- in whichever order -- came unraveled after halftime.
Daniels was clearly intent on being very deferential and humble during his interview Wednesday, reiterating that he was fine having to compete again for the job he held all of last season and offering up comments about how much the competition helped him.
He also in the process acknowledged that it wasn't a landslide decision in his favor.
"You kind of feel everyone right there with you. I don't think there was too much to separate the quarterbacks," Daniels said. "Everybody came out, competed every single day, a lot of improvement from each player in the room."
It will ultimately be Daniels' improvement that draws the most scrutiny this fall, of course.
Either the doubters will be validated, or he'll remind everyone why he was one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the 2018 recruiting class … and that maybe, just maybe being a year more experienced and playing in a better organized offense might make some difference too.
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