The Silver Lining Post Grothe: BJ Daniels

BJ Daniels is a name you might not know right now, but you will by the end of the season. The three star quarterback hails from Tallahassee, and will be ready for a rude reception on his homecoming visit this weekend. He’s very comparable to Grothe in their playing styles and size, BJ stands at 6’1’’ and 195. He has 4.4 forty speed and great moves when reaching the open field. This along with a strong arm has him primed to be successful in the USF offensive scheme. He will make plays with both his feet and his arm, but relies mainly on his feet, just like Grothe did during the start of his career. He’ll make mistakes throwing into double coverage, but has the natural ability to make some of these throws and has shown he can learn on the fly.

He’s gotten valuable experience this year in the Wofford and Western Kentucky games, but more importantly the Charleston Southern game. He had 149 yards passing and 105 rushing combined for 3 touchdowns even on a - opponent, this is a huge confidence boost for him. He was the hero of this game considering he had to replace a legend at USF in Matt Grothe. The student section lead the stadium in chanting Grothe’s name as he was helped off the field and on his way to the locker room, the feeling of despair quickly dissipated as BJ Daniels stepped behind center. He was already somewhat of a fan favorite coming into the Wofford game and throwing a touchdown, but he made a blowout game interesting.

He faces a very fast defense in Florida State, one Mickey Andrews says is his fastest yet. This will be BJ’s first real test, along with his first true start. If USF’s defense lead by George Selvie keeps this game close, don’t be surprised if a spirited drive lead by this red-shirt freshman gets the Bulls a victory in their first ever meeting with the Seminoles. Even in a loss the experience gained will prepare this highly touted quarterback for not only the rest of the Big East schedule, but also for those first few steps out of Grothe’s large shadow.