Former USC and Georgia quarterback JT Daniels announced earlier in the college football offseason that he was transferring to West Virginia to compete for their starting QB job.
West Virginia is set to play their first game of the 2022 college football season on Thursday against Pittsburgh, and the team has officially named its starting quarterback on Monday. According to Brandon Marcello of 247 Sports, Daniels has been named the starter on Thursday in a game that is filled with storylines.
JT Daniels has been announced as West Virginia's starting quarterback. The former USC and Georgia starter faces off against former USC teammate Kedon Slovis in the Backyard Brawl on Thursday.#WVU #Pitt
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) August 29, 2022
Daniels will be facing off against former USC teammate Kedon Slovis, who was named the starter for Pittsburgh earlier this month after his transfer decision this offseason.
Slovis was the player who supplanted Daniels at USC as the starter in 2019, so the two have some history over the years.
Many around the college football world are excited to watch Thursday’s game between the two quarterbacks in a game that should be action-packed.
In the least surprising news imaginable, WVU head coach Neal Brown officially names JT Daniels his starting quarterback for the Backyard Brawl.
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) August 29, 2022
2022 is the year of former USC QB’s
-JT Daniels starting at West Virginia
-Kedon Slovis starting at Pitt
-Jaxson Dart starting (proj.) at Ole Miss
All 3 could have huge seasons
Hard to believe USC wasn’t better with any of that talent
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) August 28, 2022
BREAKING: Neal Brown announces JT Daniels will be the starting quarterback for #WVU Football
Link: https://t.co/AvRSy3DORh pic.twitter.com/k9i98Zzw8H
— Chris Anderson (@CMAnderson247) August 29, 2022
It's officially an ex-USC QB battle at the #BackyardBrawl
JT Daniels (WVU) vs. Kedon Slovis (PITT)— Zach Gilleland (@ZachGillelandTV) August 29, 2022
West Virginia head coach Neal Brown made a statement on the matter on Monday, saying that Daniels’s decision-making was key in him earning the starting job.
“He’s earned the right,” said Brown via West Virginia reporter Anjelica Trinone. “Decision-making is what won the job for him. I have a lot of confidence in him and how he will start in the opener.”
🚨: It’s officially official — Georgia transfer JT Daniels will be @WVUfootball’s QB1 for the #BackyardBrawl.
Neal Brown: “he’s earned the right. Decision making is what won the job for him.. I have a lot of confidence in him and how he will start in the opener” pic.twitter.com/NYsyAIOp3E
— Anjelica Trinone (@AnjelicaTrinone) August 29, 2022
Daniels has shown a ton of promise throughout his career but has been hampered with injuries during his time at USC and Georgia.
A fresh start at West Virginia could be good for him, but he will need to get past Slovis and the Pittsburgh Panthers, who are currently favored by 7.5 points, to start the season off on the right foot.
[Brandon Marcello, Anjelica Trinone]
