The drama in the Land of Troy, such as it was, is officially over.
For most, there was a three-man battle for USC’s starting quarterback job throughout this offseason -- incumbent JT Daniels, Matt Fink and Jack Sears. Tuesday, the Trojans ended the competition charade by confirming that Daniels will indeed be the team’s starter when they open the 2019 season later this month.
OFFICIAL: Sophomore @jtdaniels06 is named the USC starting quarterback. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/xgbbIbnjfp
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) August 21, 2019
Most intriguing, though, is the fact that true freshman Kedon Slovis, who has been mostly an afterthought in the competition, has been chosen as the true sophomore Daniels’ backup over Fink, a redshirt junior, and Sears, a redshirt sophomore.
Daniels started 11 games as a true freshman for the Trojans this past season, with Sears starting the other. Fink seriously contemplated a transfer this offseason before opting to remain at USC. Slovis, meanwhile, was a three-star 2019 signee who was rated as the No. 26 pro-style quarterback in the country.
In his first season as a starter, Daniels completed almost 60 percent of his 363 passes for 2,672 yards, 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.