The West Virginia Mountaineers have a recent history of adding highly-rated quarterbacks through the transfer portal. Will Grier, a former four star quarterback from Charlotte, North Carolina, transferred to West Virginia from Florida following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.
Last year, Austin Kendall, a four star prospect who originally committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, was brought to Morgantown by West Virginia Neal Brown to be his starter in his debut season as the Head Coach of the Mountaineers. In addition, Brown was able to get Jarret Doege, a two year starter at Bowling Green, to join the team as well.
In other words, West Virginia has shown to be capable of pulling some of the best and most talented quarterbacks who have transferred over the past several years. This year, JT Daniels, a former USC 5 star quarterback, has entered the transfer portal and is now available.
Daniels started for USC as a true freshman, but tore his ACL at the beginning of the sophomore season. Last season, his replacement, Kedon Slovis, took over and set multiple USC and NCAA records.
According to Daniels, “I love this university, coaching staff, and team. To me it is in my best interest to explore all my options going into the 2020 season. I will remain in contact with the coaching staff through the process. USC remains one of my options, and that door has remained open for me.”
Although Daniels has left the door open for a return to USC, it’s highly unlikely that he will return to play for the Trojans. While West Virginia has a strong starter in Jarret Doege and a capable backup in Austin Kendall, a player like Daniels would always be a welcomed addition.
Daniels has not announced which schools have shown interest or which programs he will consider, but early favorites appear to be LSU and Michigan. However, competition at both schools will be far greater and perhaps a team like West Virginia could sneak in and steal him. Neal Brown has certainly proven that he’s capable of recruiting some of the top talent in the nation to play for the Mountaineers.
