Can JT Daniels lead Rice Football to a winning record?

Rice football adds graduate transfer quarterback JT Daniels to its roster.

When Rice quarterback JT Daniels thought about playing in Rice Stadium, it would have been because NRG Stadium was being renovated, and the Texans needed a place to play temporarily. In a perfect world, Daniels would have fulfilled his promise and restarted the quarterback pipeline at USC.

Instead, the Mater Dei High School standout is on his fourth team in six years of college football, still trying to live up to his potential coming out of high school. There have been flashes; his freshman year at USC and nine starts at Georgia showed what he could become.

Now Daniels is at Rice, trying to be the missing piece to what head coach Mike Bloomgren has attempted to build since taking the job in 2018. Much like its new quarterback, there have been flashes– they upset Louisiana last season– but not enough consistency. Maybe the Owls and Daniels are exactly what each other needs.

Rice needs a quarterback who can be a difference-maker. Daniels must stay healthy for an entire season and lead a team to new heights.

Can the Owls have a winning record for the first time since 2014? Here is a look at the offense, defense, and their schedule.