With Bulls QB Matt Grothe out for the season, it's easy to count Saturday's game as a slam dunk "W" for the Noles. Well, not so fast, my tomahawk chopping friend.
USF's redshirt freshman signal caller B.J. Daniels has the tools, and the incentive, to make it competitive, exciting, and maybe even close.
The kid has a strong arm and fast wheels. Tallahassee readers already know this, since B.J. played at Lincoln (here's a video of his high school highlights). Which explains the extra incentive he'll have playing in front of his family and homies.
Daniels already has already more experience than E.J. Manuel. B.J. is a redshirt freshman, but played in a few games last season before an injury against N.C. State (for which he was granted a redshirt). His debut in USF's opener last year, though, was not exactly B.J.'s finest moment (here's the video evidence).
He played far more productively last Saturday after Grothe's leg was bent back behind him when tackled after a 9-yard scramble. Daniels came in cold in the second quarter and looked confident while throwing for 149 yards (10 of 13 with one TD) and running for 105.
We've gotta believe B.J. has more football talent than personality, though, at this stage in his young life. If this video interview were a Hollywood screen test, Daniels wouldn't get the gig.
5-Star firepower. The kid had quite a track record coming out of Lincoln to Temple Terrace. In fact, his Scout recruiting evaluation was more impressive than Jacory Harris's. Here's B.J.'s:
Daniels is a very competitive dual-threat quarterback with a live arm and the ability to make the necessary throws at the college level. He is tough, shifty runner and can create when the original play breaks down. Makes a lot of plays improvising with his legs and shows very good initial quickness to escape the pocket and make things happen. Has running back type skills. As a passer, Daniels has a snappy release and shows excellent zip on underneath throws. He can really hum it when he needs to and can fit the ball into some tight spots in the short-to-intermediate passing game. He does a nice job getting back quickly, setting up and working through his reads. He can get hot when he gets into a rhythm and gets rid of the ball on time. Is a dangerous thrower on the run and can create problems when on the perimeter. However, while Daniels is thickly built, he isn't very tall and may struggle to see the field from within the pocket at the next level. He has a very good arm, but is probably a better runner at this stage. The thing you can't ignore about Daniels is his competitiveness. He just finds ways to make the play and he has some craftiness to his methods. Once he develops as a passer and learns to read coverages and become a little more patient, he has a chance to mature into a solid college player.
Comments? Questions? Kudos?