Here's what JT Daniels, coach Clay Helton and QBs coach Bryan Ellis said about the decision to go with Daniels as the starting quarterback:
CLAY HELTON
What did QB decision come down to?
"For me, I thought it was a really healthy competition and what I was really excited about is how all the quarterbacks progressed. Competition makes you rise to the top, rise your game, and the ultimate goal was to have each one prepared to be able to go in the game. Because we did that competition for the length we had, with the scrimmages, I thought each one is prepared. What we sat down and looked at at the end was how they functioned in actual live games -- the scrimmages, live two-minute drills, when the ball had to move and it wasn't scripted. And that's where we thought JT shined. I thought all the kids did a wonderful job of competing. They're all ready to go, but you have to define a role at the beginning here and right now JT will [start]."
On the importance of naming starter leading into game week ...
"I've always wanted for our football team, I think it's healthy for your football team to know who the quarterback is. I played the position, have coached the position and wanted enough time for these guys to get a full game plan, get comfortable with the game plan, the chemistry with their starting quarterback. And we defined all those, not only at the quarterback position, but in our entire team. So everybody knows where they're starting at. We are going to play a lot of guys at all positions, but I think it's healthy for our football team going in that there's no question marks. You know where you stand on day 1 and you know how you're going to help the team."
After you saw JT's performance in the first scrimmage, did you think he was going to be tough to beat?
"No, you know, I was committed and I think our staff was committed to the entire process because we were truly trying to get every quarterback ready to go in. Now in that first scrimmage there was some moments you go, 'Wow, this kid is really mature for his age.' You don't know what it's going to be like when a kid walks into the Coliseum for the first time in a scrimmage atmosphere when he's got to compete for a job, and he did what he did. That's what we were impressed with. Each time we put the ball down and just played, he looked extremely comfortable. He looked extremely comfortable in front of all y'all, and that's not easy for an 18-year-old kid. His maturity level both on the field and off has been extremely impressive."
Can you walk us through the meeting with JT informing him he won the job?
"It's always hard. I've been doing it a long time, 24 years, and it's always hard to have those meetings. But it's always out of respect and out of love that you're going to be able to sit down with each quarterback, and we sat down with every one of them on Sunday. I sat down one on one with them individually, told them what their role would be. Obviously, JT was excited about his role, but again, I thought his maturity shined through because he was really, 'All right, Coach, I'm excited about this, but I know there's a job to do.' He was honored to have that opportunity, but he understood there was a lot of work to do, and I thought the way he feels about the other [QBs] in the room and his comments about them really shined through.
"I thought all the kids were extremely classy the way that they handled it. Obviously there was disappointment by the other kids, but the class and integrity that they showed, and then you saw them out here today. They came to work. That's what Trojans do. You never know when your number's going to be called. I've asked each one of them to prepare like a starter because at some point in time you're going to have to go out there and you're going to have to help your team."
On choosing Matt Fink over Jack Sears at the No. 2 QB spot:
"Again, we thought that Matty, really, I told him I thought his last week of camp was his best. We challenged him in that last week after that second scrimmage, I challenged him with some things to get accomplished and I really thought he took it to heart and had his best week his last week. Again, when we put the ball down and played, I thought he did well. That's at the end of the day, that's what we had to look at -- not the scripts, you take that into account, the routes on air -- but when the ball is put down, what did the kid do."
On how those two handled the decision:
"I thought all the kids were extremely classy the way that they handled it. Obviously there was disappointment by the other kids, but the class and integrity that they showed, and then you saw them out here today. They came to work. That's what Trojans do. You never know when your number's going to be called. I've asked each one of them to prepare like a starter because at some point in time you're going to have to go out there and you're going to have to help your team."
On discussions with Sears and Fink about their futures:
Helton: "Yeah, get ready to become a better quarterback each and every day and prepare like a starter and get ready to play. That's what each quarterback does and that's what all positions do. You never know when your opportunity's going to be. I've been in a situation where I had to go win a game with a fourth-string quarterback. I've been in a situation where we had to try to beat UCLA with a fourth-string center. ... You get 24 hours to kind of be sad, and then you come back to work. And you watch those kids today and I was was dang proud of them because that's who they are, that's why we signed them. Because not only were they the right player but they were the right people. And were committed to this season, each one of those quarterbacks. I'm proud of them because each one of them said, 'Coach, no matter what the decision is, I'm going to be a good teammate.' And that's the key to being a great quarterback is being a good teammate first."
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CLAY HELTON
What did QB decision come down to?
"For me, I thought it was a really healthy competition and what I was really excited about is how all the quarterbacks progressed. Competition makes you rise to the top, rise your game, and the ultimate goal was to have each one prepared to be able to go in the game. Because we did that competition for the length we had, with the scrimmages, I thought each one is prepared. What we sat down and looked at at the end was how they functioned in actual live games -- the scrimmages, live two-minute drills, when the ball had to move and it wasn't scripted. And that's where we thought JT shined. I thought all the kids did a wonderful job of competing. They're all ready to go, but you have to define a role at the beginning here and right now JT will [start]."
On the importance of naming starter leading into game week ...
"I've always wanted for our football team, I think it's healthy for your football team to know who the quarterback is. I played the position, have coached the position and wanted enough time for these guys to get a full game plan, get comfortable with the game plan, the chemistry with their starting quarterback. And we defined all those, not only at the quarterback position, but in our entire team. So everybody knows where they're starting at. We are going to play a lot of guys at all positions, but I think it's healthy for our football team going in that there's no question marks. You know where you stand on day 1 and you know how you're going to help the team."
After you saw JT's performance in the first scrimmage, did you think he was going to be tough to beat?
"No, you know, I was committed and I think our staff was committed to the entire process because we were truly trying to get every quarterback ready to go in. Now in that first scrimmage there was some moments you go, 'Wow, this kid is really mature for his age.' You don't know what it's going to be like when a kid walks into the Coliseum for the first time in a scrimmage atmosphere when he's got to compete for a job, and he did what he did. That's what we were impressed with. Each time we put the ball down and just played, he looked extremely comfortable. He looked extremely comfortable in front of all y'all, and that's not easy for an 18-year-old kid. His maturity level both on the field and off has been extremely impressive."
Can you walk us through the meeting with JT informing him he won the job?
"It's always hard. I've been doing it a long time, 24 years, and it's always hard to have those meetings. But it's always out of respect and out of love that you're going to be able to sit down with each quarterback, and we sat down with every one of them on Sunday. I sat down one on one with them individually, told them what their role would be. Obviously, JT was excited about his role, but again, I thought his maturity shined through because he was really, 'All right, Coach, I'm excited about this, but I know there's a job to do.' He was honored to have that opportunity, but he understood there was a lot of work to do, and I thought the way he feels about the other [QBs] in the room and his comments about them really shined through.
"I thought all the kids were extremely classy the way that they handled it. Obviously there was disappointment by the other kids, but the class and integrity that they showed, and then you saw them out here today. They came to work. That's what Trojans do. You never know when your number's going to be called. I've asked each one of them to prepare like a starter because at some point in time you're going to have to go out there and you're going to have to help your team."
On choosing Matt Fink over Jack Sears at the No. 2 QB spot:
"Again, we thought that Matty, really, I told him I thought his last week of camp was his best. We challenged him in that last week after that second scrimmage, I challenged him with some things to get accomplished and I really thought he took it to heart and had his best week his last week. Again, when we put the ball down and played, I thought he did well. That's at the end of the day, that's what we had to look at -- not the scripts, you take that into account, the routes on air -- but when the ball is put down, what did the kid do."
On how those two handled the decision:
"I thought all the kids were extremely classy the way that they handled it. Obviously there was disappointment by the other kids, but the class and integrity that they showed, and then you saw them out here today. They came to work. That's what Trojans do. You never know when your number's going to be called. I've asked each one of them to prepare like a starter because at some point in time you're going to have to go out there and you're going to have to help your team."
On discussions with Sears and Fink about their futures:
Helton: "Yeah, get ready to become a better quarterback each and every day and prepare like a starter and get ready to play. That's what each quarterback does and that's what all positions do. You never know when your opportunity's going to be. I've been in a situation where I had to go win a game with a fourth-string quarterback. I've been in a situation where we had to try to beat UCLA with a fourth-string center. ... You get 24 hours to kind of be sad, and then you come back to work. And you watch those kids today and I was was dang proud of them because that's who they are, that's why we signed them. Because not only were they the right player but they were the right people. And were committed to this season, each one of those quarterbacks. I'm proud of them because each one of them said, 'Coach, no matter what the decision is, I'm going to be a good teammate.' And that's the key to being a great quarterback is being a good teammate first."
Continued below...
