April 16 (UPI) -- USC Trojans head football coach Clay Helton announced Thursday that quarterback J.T. Daniels is entering his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
Daniels sustained a season-ending knee injury in the regular-season opener last year, leading to the emergence of Kedon Slovis. Slovis earned Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors in 2019 after taking over for the injured Daniels.
USC was optimistic that Daniels would remain at the school. But with Slovis listed as the team's current starting quarterback, Daniels is opting to explore his options.
In his statement, Helton didn't rule out Daniels' return to the school.
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"We have been working with J.T. and his family, as well as our compliance office, to help him navigate the process of entering his name in the transfer portal," Helton said. "It is his desire to explore all of his options going into the 2020 season.
"We will continue to support J.T. in every way possible and help him through his decision, including the option of staying on with our football team. J.T. is a terrific person, student, player, and valued member of our football family."
ESPN listed Daniels as a four-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, while 247Sports ranked him as a five-star recruit. He has been rehabbing his knee but isn't expected to be ready to return until at least this summer.
In place of Daniels, Slovis threw for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season.
