The college football world has had an overwhelming amount of transfer portal news and player reports since the conclusion of the regular season last Saturday. However, news regarding a former high-end prospect dropped on Friday, unceremonially closing the door on a starting quarterback’s college career. Per ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Rice Owls quarterback JT Daniels has medically retired from college football.
Rice quarterback JT Daniels is medically retiring from football after suffering multiple concussions and being advised to retire by his doctors, he tells ESPN. With his retirement, he plans to enter the coaching space now that his playing career is done. pic.twitter.com/zJQtFSUqMb
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 1, 2023
Daniels suffered multiple concussions during his six-year college football career. Thamel states that the Rice product will look to make the transition to the coaching ranks following the conclusion of his playing career.
JT Daniels: One of College Football’s Longest-Tenured Signal-Callers
Daniels, the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2018 (behind Trevor Lawrence), committed to playing with the USC Trojans after dominating at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. Daniels started as a true freshman, winning the job over fellow quarterbacks Matt Fink and Jack Sears. However, the Trojans struggled, going 5-7 with Daniels throwing for just 14 touchdowns against ten picks. The California native tore his ACL in the season opener against Fresno State the following season, leading to Kedon Slovis taking over the starting gig. With the emergence of Slovis, Daniels transferred to Georgia for the 2020 season.
Daniels split time with fellow gunslinger Stetson Bennett during the 2020 season. In four games, Daniels threw for 1,231 yards and ten touchdowns against two picks. He missed a portion of the season with an oblique injury, resulting in Bennett throwing more than triple the pass attempts as Daniels.
Bennett led the way for the Bulldogs in 2021, with Daniels going 68 of 84 for 722 yards and seven touchdowns against three picks. However, after Georgia won the National Championship and Bennett returned for another season, Daniels darted again for the transfer portal, committing to play the 2022 season with the West Virginia Mountaineers. The six-foot-two quarterback struggled in the Big 12, throwing for 13 touchdowns against nine picks before being benched in favor of Garrett Greene.
JT Daniels hopped back into the portal, taking his talents to Rice. He played his best college football season with the Owls, throwing for 21 touchdowns against seven picks in nine games. He finishes his college football career with 66 touchdowns against 32 picks.
JT Daniels: Not the First College Football Player to Medically Retire in 2023
JT Daniels might be the most well-known player to retire from college football this season medically, but he is not the first. Florida Gators DB Dakota Mitchell retired in September of this year due to lingering back pain that flared up during his younger days. Meanwhile, in August, Penn State offensive guard Landon Tengwall medically retired from college football. Tengwell started the first five games for the Nittany Lions in 2022.
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