Texas Football: Could USC transfer QB JT Daniels land in the Big 12

Big news dropped involving a big name on April 16 as a former loser to the Texas football program, USC QB JT Daniels, goes into the transfer portal.

By far the biggest news to hit the college football landscape on April 16 came courtesy of the USC Trojans rising redshirt sophomore quarterback and former five-star recruit JT Daniels putting his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal. While Daniels isn’t a transfer candidate that is likely to land with the Texas football program, he might still have an impact on this team if he lands with a program in the Big 12.

The report that Daniels intends to explore his transfer options in the portal came from Joshua An of USC Scoop on April 16. Here is the official statement that was included in that piece that came directly from 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. Fight On✌️”"

That piece also cites that one of the biggest reasons why Daniels is exploring his transfer options is the freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis taking over after his injury and likely winning the start job this coming season. Slovis had a solid freshman season with USC, amassing more than 3,500 passing yards and 30 touchdowns through the air, with just nine interceptions.

The most common question that will be asked now is where the third-year signal caller with a lot of raw talent will land. An opinion piece from 247Sports on the afternoon of April 16 listed seven different possible transfer destinations for Daniels. That list included the likes of the defending National Champion LSU Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers, Michigan Wolverines, and going back to USC.

Of course landing back with the same program is always a viable option for a player that puts his name in the transfer portal given the circumstances Daniels finds himself in.

None of the seven potential landing spots for Daniels on that piece from 247Sports mentions a Big 12 program, or more specifically the Texas Longhorns football program. Texas has plenty of quarterback depth rolling onto the Forty Acres, even after the run of to-be senior Sam Ehlinger ends after the 2020 season.

However, the program listed among those seven potential landing spots with the most relevance to the Longhorns is LSU. Texas is supposed to face LSU in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Although, Daniels would have to win the starting job and get immediate eligibility all in this offseason if he that is have relevance to Texas.

One other potential landing spot with relevance to the Longhorns that could be important to watch, if Daniels decides to take his talents to the SEC, is the Arkansas Razorbacks. Arkansas has anything but a long-term answer behind center, and Daniels would likely be the set in stone favorite to win the starting job for the next few seasons if he transfers to become a Razorback.

Texas faces Arkansas in a home-and-home series starting in 2021.

Coming out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, Daniels held nearly 20 schools on his offer sheet. Among those schools that offered Daniels out of high school, none were from the Big 12. But former Big 12 foes like the Colorado Buffaloes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and in-state rival Texas A&M Aggies, did offer Daniels.

Three underrated landing spots that Daniels could have in the Big 12 that could use him in the near future includes the Baylor Bears, TCU Horned Frogs, and West Virginia Mountaineers. Recently hired Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has ties back to LSU, who did offer Daniels out of high school. TCU and West Virginia could both use additional quarterback depth at this moment too.

Wherever he lands, if it comes against a team that Texas is supposed to face sometime in the next three seasons, it could very well have a tangible impact on this program. He needs to show more than he did during his two years at USC. Daniels registered 2,887 passing yards, 15 touchdowns through the air, and 11 interceptions in his college career thus far.

Daniels did already lose once to the Longhorns, when they traveled to the Forty Acres to take on Texas at DKR in 2018. He will immediately become one of the most high-profile targets in the transfer portal this offseason.