Georgia QB JT Daniels reportedly tests positive for COVID-19
Georgia’s lead up to the Capital One Orange Bowl and College Football Playoffs just got a lot more intriguing as quarterback JT Daniels has reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. Anthony Dasher of UGASports.com first reported the news Tuesday evening.
Daniels started three games for Georgia during the 2021 season but has been a part of the quarterback conversation all year long. Kirby Smart named him the starter during the spring, however injuries have kept him largely in a backup role to Stetson Bennett.
When he has been on the field, the product has been pretty good. In four starts to end the 2020 season, Daniels threw for 1,231 yards and 10 touchdowns. That included two games over 300 yards and another with 299. He’s followed that up with 722 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, starting for the Bulldogs against Clemson, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
During his pre-bowl press conference on Monday, Smart was asked specifically about Daniels and said the following:
“We just talk about the guys that are doing their job. All four of those guys have done a tremendous job working. Brock (Vandergriff) has been giving us a great picture down on the scout team end. JT (Daniels) and Stetson (Bennett) are both doing a really good job simulating the offense that Coach Monken wants to do. Like I talk about all the team, we are going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win. I am really proud of the way both of those guys have practiced. We have done four or five camp-type practices and two that were really focused on Michigan. Both guys Stetson and JT have been really good in terms of being locked-in and really focused on what we need to focus on.”
“JT has done a tremendous job in all of our practices and all of our work. Being able to be effective and understanding what we have to do offensively and making decisions,” Smart added. “We get to see him go sometimes against the two defense, sometimes he gets to go against the one defense, just depending on what we are working on. He has done a good job of doing that.”
Smart was also recently asked about the rising COVID concerns around the country and how his program is handling them.
“Ron (Courson) has had a heightened awareness in the recent weeks and days,” Smart said last week. “We’ve got a large portion of our team that’s been vaccinated and continues to be diligent about that. We ask the guys that aren’t to be extra safe. We’ve taken some precautions around the building and to be smart. It’s certainly that time of year, we had a little bout with the flu there that made me concerned as well about COVID. Here in the last couple of days, we’ve been on top of it and our guys are understanding that we have to be safe and cannot lose anybody at this time. Ron and his staff have been incredible.”
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