Mailbag: J.T. Daniels and transfer quarterbacks

Hey, Magnus. I appreciate your comments here and over at MGo. I was wondering what you think about JT Daniels and if Michigan should go after him. I know Michigan recruited him back in high school, but Michigan hasn’t had luck with transfers in the past. Is it worth the risk of chasing off D-Caff, Milton, and potentially JJ McCarthy? I’ll hang up and listen.

Hit the jump for my response.

This has been a big discussion topic on message boards and WTKA for the past few days. First of all, it’s worth a discussion about who exactly J.T. Daniels is. Daniels was a 5-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #16 overall in the 2018 class, which is the same class that Michigan landed Joe Milton. He went to California powerhouse program Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei, graduated high school a year early, and picked USC. He earned the starting gig for the Trojans immediately, going 216/363 (59.5%) for 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He’s not much of a runner (-149 yards and 0 touchdowns that year). He went 25/34 for 215 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception as a sophomore against Fresno State before a knee injury ended his season. Despite early reports that he would stay at USC even after his job was usurped, his name is now in the transfer portal.

Daniels is a better pure thrower of the football than Dylan McCaffrey or Joe Milton. I just want to get that out of the way up front. That doesn’t mean he’s a better runner (he’s not) or a better decision-maker (questionable), but when it comes to his drops, his release, his velocity, and his accuracy, he’s a superior thrower. McCaffrey has a longer release and throws kind of an ugly ball, if we’re being honest. Milton has a cannon for an arm, but his accuracy has always been a question, and so far he has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns.

I have suggested before – and some people have been upset about it, for multiple reasons – that McCaffrey was not capable in 2019 of handling the passing and RPO game. When people were calling for him to replace Patterson, I thought, “Be careful what you wish for.” It is my opinion that McCaffrey is not a good fit for the offense that Michigan has adopted under Josh Gattis. I would love for him to prove me wrong, and perhaps Gattis can adjust appropriately. But an RPO offense requires a quick release and the ability to throw off platform. The lanky, 6’5″ McCaffrey’s long release and long frame mean that going from a mesh with the running back to suddenly flipping his hips to throw a bubble or slant is a lot more difficult than it is for someone who’s more compact, either in body or delivery.

With a smaller Milton sample size, it’s probably fair to say that he was not ready in 2019, either. And while he does have a quicker release, I’m not sure he’s ready for the RPO game, either.

So barring an adjustment in philosophy, I’m not sure that Michigan has a capable 2020 starter on its roster.

Now comes the issue of whether Michigan should worry about scaring off McCaffrey and Milton, not to mention Cade McNamara and 2021 commit J.J. McCarthy:

Yes. This is a pretty simple question to answer. Competition comes from everywhere and at almost every other program. Of course, everyone knows that LSU won the national championship with a transfer (Joe Burrow), and Oklahoma has made a living from taking transfers in recent years (Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts). The best players play at every level, regardless of their origin. Bringing in one transfer doesn’t mean every other quarterback in the pipeline would leave you with an empty cupboard. Yes, someone would probably leave, but not everyone.

Additionally, Daniels wouldn’t necessarily be a one-year rental like Jake Rudock was back in 2015. Daniels has three years of eligibility remaining, and with it sounding like the NCAA will approve one-time immediate eligibility transfers for 2020 (if there’s a 2020 season at all), Daniels could potentially be Michigan’s starter in 2020, 2021, and 2022. McCaffrey’s final season of eligibility is 2021, and Milton’s is 2022. Bringing Daniels in might block those guys from playing, but the effect on McCarthy would probably be minimal.

I believe Michigan should pursue Daniels. He’s a better fit for Michigan’s RPO offense under Josh Gattis, and he already has more playing experience than McCaffrey, Milton, McNamara, and McCarthy combined. Even if it would affect McCarthy’s commitment, the Wolverines have time to pursue other quarterbacks in the 2021 class and have already begun on the 2022 and 2023 prospects.

You need to login in order to vote