Georgia QB Granted Immediate Eligibility

With the cancellation of the scheduled season opening game between Alabama and Southern Cal and many people pondering how the 2020 schedule will play out, could the Crimson Tide's first game of the upcoming year be against the Georgia Bulldogs?

If Alabama ultimately opens up its season with the Georgia Bulldogs, who will be the starting quarterback? Georgia just received news that the NCAA has granted immediate eligibility to transfer quarterback JT Daniels.

Daniels will now challenge graduate-transfer quarterback Jamie Newman for the starting position. Newman was seen as one of the most coveted graduate transfers in college football offseason and viewed as the likely starter prior to Daniels transferring into Athens.

Daniels announced his decision to transfer to Georgia on May 28 after leaving the USC Trojans due to losing his starting position to Kendon Slovis.

Daniels was a 5-star recruit out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California. His last year of high school he won Gatorade Player of the Year and Max Preps Football Player of the year in 2017. Daniels reclassified into the 2018 recruiting class and joined the Trojans.

He became the second quarterback in Trojan history to start at quarterback as a true freshman. Daniels passed for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns on his way to leading the Trojans to a 5-6 record. He started the 2019 season opener for the Trojans against Fresno State but suffered a torn ACL costing him the remainder of his sophomore season.

Freshman Kendon Slovis replaced Daniels as a starter for the Trojans and won Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after passing for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns. Slovis secured the Trojans starting quarterback job on the field, forcing Daniels to look elsewhere to continue his college career.

Should the Alabama host Georgia in the opening game of the year, Kirby Smart will undoubtedly keep who his starting quarterback will be close to the vest.