His USC cap pulled down low, his chin bordered with dark facial hair that someday might one day become a beard, JT Daniels looked like a kid. Because he is.
But the precocious freshman from Santa Ana Mater Dei High grew up as a quarterback Friday night in the Trojans’ dramatic-to-the-end 39-36 victory over Washington State at the Coliseum.
He completed 17 of 26 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns, showing poise, promise and cold-eyed nerve when the Trojans needed it most. Daniels, who graduated from high school a year early to enroll at USC this fall, is gaining confidence in himself as rapidly as his teammates are gaining confidence in him.