Morgantown, West Virginia – I guess it’s difficult to name a player who has not even practiced with the team yet as the starting quarterback, but come on, JT Daniels will be under center when the West Virginia Mountaineers play the Pitt Panthers on September 1st.
However, in Brown’s typical coach-speak manner, he was resolute that no starter has been decided on.
Speaking of Daniels, Brown said the following: “He has to go out and win the job. That’s something we were very clear about when we were recruiting him. The job is not going to be handed to him and he has to win it.”
West Virginia, of course, returns redshirt sophomore Garrett Greene, who Brown referred to today as a “talented athlete with a lively arm”, and redshirt freshman Will “Goose” Crowder, who has been a favorite of Brown since he’s come to Morgantown. The Mountaineers also have four star recruit and true freshman Nicco Marchiol, the clear future starting quarterback of the team.
“Quarterback competitions, when they’re won, it’s really evident,” Brown said. “Your team knows it. It’s not like you have to go put out a social media announcement or stand in front of the team and say this is our starter. When a quarterback wins the competition, it’s very clear. It’s really clear who the team believes in and who they’re productive for.”
If there truly is a competition, players on the team would be crazy to accept anyone but Daniels as the starter. After all, he is accomplished at the highest level in college athletics and the other three quarterbacks simply lack experience.
Despite the perceived competition within the quarterback room, Brown clearly understands what a talent he has in Daniels: “He was one of the best recruits in the country out of high school a few years ago,” Brown said. “He started at USC and then he was 7-0 at Georgia. The key for him is keeping him healthy.”
Unless Daniels has an injury – which he has struggled with during his college career – he is the man for West Virginia this season, despite what Neal Brown says in public.
