MOBILE, Ala. — J.T. Daniels arrived for Senior Bowl week finishing the drill in one career role and looking forward to starting another in coaching.

Daniels hopes to continue his journey on the sideline -- or box -- as a coach, after years of playing quarterback. Daniels has traveled coast to coast, part of collegiate and high school national championship programs.

The Georgia portion of Daniels’ playing career was been his most high profile, as he threw for 401 yards in his first start with the Bulldogs after transferring in from USC and helped UGA finish out a Top 10 season in 2020.

Injuries related to “mechanical deficiency” led to the upper-body injuries that derailed his role as a starter at Georgia in 2021. More recently, concussions led to his premature retirement from football in his final stop at Rice.

Daniels explained to DawgNation on Monday night how he found even more passion learning from Kirby Smart and Todd Monken while playing a supportive role at UGA than anyone could have imagined.

Daniels and Stetson Bennett turned their friendship into teamwork in Smart’s tight-knit QB room, even having their own set of signals to help each other in games.

Bennett talked about his relationship with Daniels during the 2021 CFP Championship season, as well.

“We’re always communicating just trying to help each other, and by doing that it helps the entire team,” Bennett said. “We talk about coverages, pressure, fronts they are running twist gas, just everything and what plays worked against it, what plays didn’t work.”

Daniels said that sort of camaraderie and team chemistry Smart has built into Georgia football is a winning edge.

“It’s something special that definitely happens at Georgia, more than most places you’ll see, when you see how hyperactive Georgia’s sideline is, and you love to see that when a team has a super excited sideline, especially when you’re that good,” Daniels said.

Read more at DawgNation.com