Interview: 5-Star QB JT Daniels Talks National Championship and Joining USC a Year Early

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

Photo credit: Raymond Joyce

Twitter: @RJPSports

Outside of all-time individual national records and a second consecutive national and California high school title, there is nothing left for JT Daniels (6-1.5, 205) to do on the gridiron and certainly nothing left for the 5-star talent to prove. Days after help Mater Dei top De La Salle 52-21 for the overall California state championship and a No. 1 ranking in MaxPrep’s national poll, Daniels, a USC verbal commit since July 30, announced he was declaring for the college ranks a year early jumping from a 2019 recruit to the 2018 class. In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive post-season interview, I sat down with one of the top quarterback recruits in the nation, regardless of grade classification, getting his insight on the title run and his decision to head to USC a year early.

JT Daniels Statistical Profile

2015 Monarchs Record: 10-3 – Ranked No. 17 team in the nation by MaxPreps

2015 Stats (12 games): 174-of-313, 3,042 yards, 33 touchdowns, and four interceptions

2016 Monarchs Record: 13-1 – Ranked No. 3 team in the nation by MaxPreps

2016 Stats (14 games): 315-of-423, 4,849 yards passing, 67 touchdowns, and six interceptions

2017 Monarchs Record: 15-0 – ranked No. 1 nationally and in California by MaxPreps

2017 Stats (15 games): 262-of-365 for 4,123 yards with 52 touchdowns against just four picks; 556 yards rushing off 63 carries with nine touchdowns

RNG Interview

JT, you had another fantastic season in the pocket throwing for 4,123 yards with 52 touchdowns, how did your game in the pocket improve throughout the season?

“I got more comfortable and consistent overall. I was able to stand back in the pocket with the pressure around me and stay calm and finish my throws.”

You added another weapon to your game, running the ball. How has adding a running component to your game helped you as a pocket passer and how did that added dimension help the offense overall?

“Having that gave me more confidence as a pocket passer. I didn’t have to rely on passing the ball to move the ball downfield. Now I can stretch defenses and the field differently. That puts less pressure on my arm. The defenses had to respect my ability to run. That made them change their schemes and it makes it easier to throw.”

Did you have to make any adjustments to your style of play early in the season with the adding weapon of running the ball?

“Not really. No.”

Which regular or postseason game was your best, and why do you consider that your best game?

“Good question. My best game, that is hard to break down. My favorite was the Long Beach Poly game (in playoffs won 55-13). Our offense was on fire. Bru (Horace McCoy) and Amon (Ra St. Brown) were killing it. Bru had a receiving touchdown and Amon had two. We were killing it running the ball too. Glenn (Harper) had a good game against Poly. I had some big runs and a highlight hurdle in that game.”

You had four standout receivers to deliver the ball to in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Nikko Remigio, Horace McCoy, and Chris Parks, how did you develop such great chemistry with your receiver corps throughout the year?

“It has been throughout the last four or five years. I have been playing with all these guys since grade school. We’ve been running the same routes with the same dudes for years to the point where it is second nature. Years and years of reps helped develop the chemistry that made it look easy this year.”

Comparing your game as a quarterback this year to last year, which areas of your game have shown the most improvement?

“By far my mobility. Last year I was a statue. I could not move at all. I was athletic last year but I did not have the confidence or trust myself to make a play very often running the ball. I gave myself the ability to do it. I’m glad we got it done.”

Looking at the playoffs – The five-game playoff run against Vista Murrieta, Long Beach Poly, Mission Viejo, St. John Bosco, and De La Salle were against not only some of the top teams in California but in the nation, how did you up your game for the playoffs allowing you to be so productive against all the top teams?

“ We kept with our scheme from the whole year. We just wanted to be consistent and constantly improving. Our focus was never about being better this week or stepping up against a certain team because it was a big game. We kept it the same for each game. We would breakdown film, practice, and go play on Friday. Who we played made no difference to us.”

Which playoff game was the toughest for you, but made you better in the long run for the experience?

“For me, it was against Mission Viejo (won 49-21). Mission stopped us on the first drive. We were not popping on offense right away. We had a slow start. The problem for me, I was forcing passes and not checking down like I should have been doing.”

Did you see any new defenses in the playoffs that challenged you expanding your knowledge of the game and helping you improve as a quarterback in the process? If so, what defenses have you seen, and how did you overcome the challenge?

“Not really. With high school football in southern California, teams are similar in the defenses they run. There is nothing new but maybe a few different wrinkles. When we played Mission and De La Salle, they believe their scheme will work and did the same thing they always do. It has been the same base defense for 20 years – a Cover 2, 3, or 4 and we worked it.”

How sweet was the feeling besting Mater Dei’s Trinity League rivals, the Braves, in the CIF-Southern Section Championship?

“That was… there was a lot of joy to go around. Revenge is nice. Our main goal was bringing the championship back home. It was an unforgettable feeling.”

The Monarchs topped De La Salle 52-21 on Dec. 16 for an overall California state title and a MaxPreps’ No. 1 national ranking, what was that feeling like taking home a state title?

“It was about the same as Bosco, a lot of celebration. I was happy to finish my last season with my guys.”

Rankings may not mean much to the team right now with the season still active, but being ranked No. 1 in the country by MaxPreps is a tremendous achievement. What does the ranking mean to you and the team?

“We always believed we were No. 1 from the start. We had that belief and mindset from the start of the season. It is a great honor and I am grateful to MaxPreps for the No. 1 ranking. It was our goal and we got it done.”

You verbally committed to the Trojans on July 30 but recently declared a year early to enter college, what was behind that decision to leave high school after your junior season?

“I started getting a feeling. I got the idea randomly and joked about it for a little bit. We started to look in to it to see if it would be beneficial for me to be in college next year. We went to the NCAA, Mater Dei, and USC’s compliance to check everything out and to make sure I could do it. I felt ready for college and declared early.”

When do you sign your letter of intent?

“In February.”

When do you report to campus?

“This summer.”

Are you helping recruit other players to join you at USC?

“Oh yeah. I am pulling for some dudes. There are some quiet ones but I am trying to Amon-Ra St. Brown, but it is his decision. There is no one I want to play with more than Amon.”

What offseason goals have you set for yourself before joining the Trojans football team?

“My offseason has not been planned yet. I will start doing all of that after the Army All-American Game. I’ve been resting and chilling for the last week.”

With the big season you had, what postseason honors did you earn?

“I was named National Gatorade Player of the Year.”

Wow. That is exciting. Congratulations.

“Thank you.”

What has you excited about playing in the Army All-American Game?

“The FBU and Army guys, I got to play FBU growing up. Mr. (Erik) Richards (Army All-American Game recruiting director) is great. I am happy to go out and spend time with them and play in the game.”

JT, thanks for your time today and good luck with the big game and your offseason workouts.

“Thank you.”

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Featured photo credit: recruitingnewsguru.com; JT Daniels