The Vols will likely try to add at least one, if not two, quarterbacks in their 2019 recruiting class. They’ve already sent out offers to a number of pro-style and dual-threat QBs in this cycle, and on Tuesday night they offered one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the class.
Jayden Daniels is a four-star quarterback out of San Bernardino, California, and he tweeted out on Tuesday night that he was “humbled” to receive a scholarship offer from Tennessee.
Humbled to have received an offer from the University of Tennessee #GoVols ? pic.twitter.com/11WqukDecs
— JD5 (@JayD__5) April 4, 2018
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Daniels is the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 class and is the No. 97 overall player in the class. Those rankings also have him as the 16th-best player in the state of California and the top-rated quarterback in the state.
As of now, Daniels holds offers from some of the top schools in the country. Alabama, Georgia, USC, Florida State, Florida, Ohio State, and Penn State have all offered him along with several other schools. Tennessee becomes the 12th school to offer him since the beginning of 2018.
So why has Daniels’ recruitment suddenly taken off like it has? That’s because he put together a phenomenal junior season in 2017.
Not only did Daniels help lead his team, Cajon High School, to a state title, but he put up some incredibly gaudy numbers in the process. According to MaxPreps, Daniels completed 69.9 percent of his 459 pass attempts for an astonishing 5,139 yards, 62 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also ran for 1,292 yards and 15 scores on 193 carries, giving him well over 6,000 yards of total offense and nearly 80 total touchdowns in one season.
And those numbers are no fluke. His highlight film shows how he was able to accumulate those monster stats.
Daniels has an unconventional throwing motion, but it pays off for him. He throws absolute darts to his receivers, and he’s almost always right on target. But he doesn’t just rifle passes in to his receivers; he can also put some nice touch on deep passes. His running ability makes him even more dangerous than a “normal” quarterback, but he’s far from a run first QB. He reads the field well and usually doesn’t take off unless his protection seriously breaks down. He’s a bit thin at 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, so a year in a collegiate strength and conditioning program will do him some good. But the groundwork is there for a solid quarterback at the next level.
The Vols have now offered 19 quarterbacks in the 2019 recruiting cycle. Daniels may not be the type of pro-style QB Vol fans may expect the new coaching staff to go after, but he’s a solid passer with some great athleticism. Any program in the country would take him.
