BELLAIRE, Texas — JT Daniels is aware of why he agreed to an interview on a latest lazy Sunday morning at a restaurant close to his suburban Houston house. The previous USC, Georgia, West Virginia, Rice quarterback would possibly as effectively be the face of the switch portal.
He has the distinctive expertise of transferring 3 times and taking part in for 4 faculties in a six-year profession. Even on this age of unfettered free company, that is rather a lot.
That makes Daniels a portal unicorn. And a sage.
“Lots of people have reached out to me about transferring and the method,” Daniels stated. “I am the man.”
From prime highschool prospect in 2018 to medically retiring 9 video games into his remaining season at Rice in 2023, there are few extra certified to discuss the fashionable machinations of participant motion. At instances, the 23-year-old took it a step additional, analyzing the state of the sport whereas munching on a lightweight brunch.
“As a lot as I transferred, I by no means gave a shit about what folks stated about transfers,” Daniels stated. “I haven’t got social media apps, so I do not hear the discourse. I am not tremendous aware of why folks take a problem with it.”
Nor does he should be. Social media can damage a contemporary faculty athlete. He did not abuse the system; Daniels took benefit of it — academically, athletically and philosophically.
Even when he does not understand it, Daniels stays a signpost for contemporary faculty soccer — a mile marker for what got here earlier than and what’s nonetheless to come back.
He was across the recreation for thus lengthy that the switch portal really got here into existence throughout his freshman yr at USC in 2018. The one-time switch exception debuted whereas he was serving to win a nationwide championship at Georgia in 2021.
Twice Daniels has been a graduate switch. Now, he’s wanting ahead to diving into a training profession beginning on the entry degree as a graduate assistant breaking down movie and fetching espresso. Daniels definitely has sufficient contacts in his cellphone based mostly on his travels, plus an estimated 15–25 gamers who’ve known as him for switch recommendation.
Earlier than he strikes on along with his life, although, there’s the not-so-small matter of what induced him to medically retire in November. Daniels suffered 4 concussions throughout his profession, two of which he has termed “extreme.”
“Somebody might name me a nasty title, and I would get concussed,” he stated of his lingering sensitivity.
It was all defined matter of factly. There is no such thing as a bitterness or second-guessing; it is soccer and all that. However there is a cause he is presently carrying eyeglasses.
“I am nonetheless not again to regular,” Daniels stated. “I misplaced ‘binocular disparity.’ Your eyes are consistently speaking with one another. You see one image with the left and one image with the suitable. Naturally, your mind is combining them. Once you see double imaginative and prescient, they are not speaking with one another. It is one image, one image and so they do not merge.
“I saved taking part in for the primary half [of Game 9] with it. You are just about seeing two footage of every [wide receiver]. Choose one to throw to.”
Requested what he remembers concerning the early days at USC, Daniels supplied, “I get that one on a regular basis. I actually do not [remember]. One, I’ve misplaced an honest quantity [of my] long-term reminiscence. That makes it a bit more durable. On the whole, it every kind of blends collectively.”
Daniels stated he could not drive for 4 weeks after his newest concussion in November. Will the reminiscence loss resolve itself?
“I hope so,” he stated.
Goodness, is the game protected?
“Yeah, it is protected sufficient for folks to play,” Daniels concluded. “Genetically, I should have a weak mind.”
And that, for now, is that. Daniels is completely satisfied to be The Switch Man providing free recommendation to gamers who’ve both entered the switch portal or are contemplating doing so. Conclusions?
“Usually, we do not implement insurance policies that drive loyalty,” Daniels stated of the switch course of. “We wish loyalty to be natural and pure. … Once you restrict the flexibility to train your freedoms of transferring, there must be a really legitimate cause to take action. And to simply blatantly implement loyalty, I feel it is laborious to argue that case.”
Frequent sense considering and the specter of authorized motion have modified the period of compelled loyalty. Daniels did not play in the course of the many years of restricted participant motion with a scholarship being the lone fee gamers might obtain for placing their our bodies on the road. It is laborious to conceive of a time when coaches might “block” gamers from transferring to sure faculties … simply because.
From 1964 till 2021, the NCAA required “a yr in residency” stopping undergraduate transfers from taking part in till they spent a yr off the sphere to get their lecturers so as — no matter their scholastic standing. That ultimately proved to be short-sighted and probably unlawful, resulting in the creation of the portal and the one-time switch exemption.
All restrictions on the variety of transfers went away not too long ago — for no less than this semester.
“I do not know a single one who transferred who did not get a level,” Daniels stated. “That means, all through their complete profession, everybody I’ve performed with to this point who was an undergraduate switch ultimately graduated or are presently on monitor to take action.”
Many of the negativity you might have heard concerning the course of has by no means crossed paths with Daniels.
“Very hardly ever is [transferring] an occasion the place a man did not need to compete and left,” he stated. “There was by no means a switch that I had that wasn’t a mutually agreed upon resolution. It is actually the identical for guys in all places.
“The overwhelming majority of transfers that I’ve seen is guys leaving on good phrases with coaches they’ve talked to. … The switch portal has [turned] out to be misconstrued by way of youngsters do not need to play and coaches f—ing any individual over. Very hardly ever have I seen both of the 2 cases occur. Way more usually, you will have a greater alternative elsewhere.”
The quarterback estimates that he has labored with a mixed 700 individuals — teammates, coaches, help personnel — contained in the 4 soccer services over the course of his profession. You possibly can’t faux your means by way of that, particularly because the face of this system.
“Transferring does not make you a most cancers,” Daniels added, “If you happen to’re a most cancers within the locker room, you are a most cancers within the locker room. … I additionally do not know the thought of men that switch are mercenaries. I do not know if transferring essentially makes you a mercenary. The place you might be at, you keep so long as your targets are the identical because the staff and it really works. If not, what is the argument to remain?”
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This journey started one recreation into his second season at USC (2019). Daniels blew out his ACL within the opener, missed the remainder of the season and ultimately acquired a waiver to switch to Georgia. Over the course of two seasons with the Bulldogs, he performed in 10 video games, began seven and acquired a nationwide championship ring. This is a glimpse of Daniels’ scenario in the course of that 2021 title run.
“It is actually cool to go to a recreation the place there are 95,000 folks 20 minutes earlier than kickoff,” Daniels remembered. “I used to be 7-0 as a starter at Georgia. I completely love Georgia followers. They’re unbelievable. Each interplay I ever had was nothing however supportive.
“I by no means, like, blew a recreation.”
After getting his psychology diploma at Georgia, Daniels did not take the standard “stroll” in a commencement ceremony. Soccer life beckoned. He transferred to West Virginia; at that time, he had not misplaced a recreation as a starter in three years. After all, over these three years was a redshirt season at USC, one other harm (indirect) at Georgia and a quarterback shuffle with Stetson Bennett.
“We’re actually shut associates,” Daniels stated of Bennett. “I am actually good associates with each quarterback I’ve ever been with. I’ve by no means been in a nasty quarterback room the place the 2 guys competing actually did not like one another. Most guys are capable of perceive … which ever one will get picked, it is believed, is best for the staff.”
At Rice in 2023, Daniels grew to become one in all highest-rated recruits in this system’s historical past. The previous nationwide highschool participant of the yr ended with a career-high 17 landing passes in his remaining season.
Greatness was projected for the child from highschool superpower Mater Dei in Orange County, California. Six years and 9,100 yards passing later, Daniels completed 21-15 as a starter. He performed in a single profession bowl recreation.
However soccer was by no means going to be the top all. Daniels principally doubled up on courses at Mater Dei so he might graduate highschool in three years.
“If you happen to get a full, free schooling to play soccer, soccer is a part of the settlement you are signing [up for] — regardless of if it conflicted with [school],” Daniels stated.
On this case of rampant transfers, athletes nonetheless should navigate NCAA progress towards diploma necessities. Credit do not at all times switch. Daniels estimates “60% to 70% of your switch credit go within the mud.”
Daniels stated he as soon as had a behavioral neuroscience class from USC (a personal faculty) that did not switch to Georgia (a state faculty). Whereas graduates solely have to take care of a handful of hours to stay eligible, Daniels is on an MBA monitor at Rice.
“It is a frequent false impression that athletes do not do faculty,” he stated. “There are athletes that do not do faculty, however they’re f—ed. They’re academically ineligible.”
By means of all of it, the previous five-star prospect — ranked No. 6 nationally within the Class of 2018 by 247Sports — was at all times going to be a coach. Daniels was in the identical class as Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, each of whom have already got a number of NFL seasons below their belts.
Daniels, although, is on the highway to changing into a school coach. He is aware of there shall be lengthy hours and low pay on the entry degree however revels in what’s forward.
“There’s a very sturdy ceremony of passage within the [coaching] trade,” Daniels stated.
He already is aware of a bit bit about grinding.
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