Mater Dei sophomore quarterback J.T. Daniels looks destined for big things

Video: J.T. Daniels Ultimate Highlights
Mater Dei sophomore quarterback has thrown 40 touchdowns and two interceptions in 2016.

When you've been around Southern California as long as Bruce Rollinson, coached for and against dozens of future NFL players and guided two teams to mythical national championships, there's little to nothing you haven't seen or experienced.

That's why the 28-year coach at perennial national power Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) could barely contain his excitement when rattling off a single fact about J.T. Daniels, whom many believe is the top sophomore quarterback in the country.

"Have you ever heard of a quarterback throwing more touchdowns than incompletions?" he asked rhetorically.

Daniels, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder, has thrown a remarkable 40 touchdowns against just two interceptions. More startling, he's completed better than 80 percent of his throws, 161-of-199 for 2,640 yards.

That's 40 touchdowns and 38 incompletions. He earned first team MaxPreps Freshman All-American honors last season after throwing for 3,042 yards, 33 touchdowns and just four interceptions.

"I must admit, sometimes I have to sit back and watch the kid and say ‘wow,' " Rollinson said.

That's just a three-letter word, but says plenty considering Rollinson coached 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart and 2007 National Gatorade Athlete of the Year Matt Barkley, a four-year starter. He also coached Colt Brennan, another quarterback who also made it to the NFL.

He's seen all the best QBs from the region, from John Elway at Granada Hills to Steve Beuerlein at Servite (Anaheim) to Carson Palmer at Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita) to Mark Sanchez at Mission Viejo to most recently, Josh Rosen at St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.).

That's the same Bosco program that Mater Dei, ranked fourth in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25, tangles with Friday in the national Game of the Week.

Bosco (6-1), ranked seventh, has defeated Mater Dei six straight times but the Braves come in as a slight underdog largely because of Daniels, who at this stage ranks not only among the region's best, but the country's finest.

With 73 touchdown passes already, he could approach the statistics of multiple national record holder Jake Browning of Folsom.

The University of Washington sophomore and early Heisman Trophy candidate threw a national record 229 career touchdowns and just 40 interceptions. Of course he just did it in just three seasons.

Much like Browning, Daniels is remarkably accurate, has a quick release and is a true student of the game. Mater Dei plays in a similar spread, quick-strike, no-huddle offense like Browning did at Folsom, which went 16-0 in 2014, won a state title and finished fourth nationally.

Other California quarterbacking greats include Tom Brady at Serra (San Mateo) and Aaron Rodgers at Pleasant Valley (Chico), but their high school careers weren't nearly as impressive or prolific as Browning, or certainly Daniels at this stage.

Rollinson doesn't know how or where his current prized pupil will rank. He's just thankful he has him. He calls him a "true, pure drop-back passer."

"He's a combination of all the great ones," Rollinson said. "Time will tell. I don't make comparisons. But he throws the ball on time and on target as well as anyone I've seen."

No one has ever studied the game any harder either, Rollinson said. "He feeds on the video…he loves the chess match of the game. He probably has six notebooks of copious notes he's taken from his time here."

Daniels attended Mater Dei camps since he was in the sixth grade.

"He's a low key kid, but wreaks with confidence," Rollinson said.

The combination of that confidence and knowledge is what last season had him on the heels of starter Matthew McDonald, a then talented 6-3, 205-pound junior, who got hurt the second game. Daniels entered and after a pedestrian first game, he threw for 290 yards and six touchdowns in his first start the following week.

McDonald eventually transferred to Mission Viejo and is currently tearing it up for the nation's No. 18 team. He's thrown for 1,720 yards, 24 touchdowns and just five interceptions for the 8-0 Diablos.

Daniels is happy for his former teammate, but according to Rollinson: "The kid hasn't looked back. When he took over he opened fired and stayed prepared. He has an uncanny ability to find the soft spot in the defense. He just sees the whole field."

That goes well beyond the football field. He owns a 4.3 grade point average.

"He never takes the credit," Rollinson said. "He passes it all around. He's still embarrassed when gets interview requests. He wants to talk about his teammates, who all respect the heck out of him. His parents obviously did a good job. They've kept him very humble and grounded."

It's easy to want to pass off credit on this squad.

The Monarchs are blessed with a talented receiving brigade, led by the brothers Amon-Ra St. Brown (32 catches, 610 yards, 14 touchdowns), a junior, and senior Osiris St. Brown (29-647-10).

Juniors Nikko Remigio (26-417-3) and C.J. Parks (25-369-6), and sophomores Bru McCoy (14-229-3) and Shakobe Harper (19-221-3) give Daniels even more options.

"Make no mistake, (Daniels) is obviously super talented," Bosco coach Jason Negro said. "What he does, how he gets rid of the ball so quick and reads schematically, you can't coach or defend it.

"But man does he have some weapons. Four of his receivers have full ride offers to USC. I've never heard of such a thing. With him controlling everything and all that talent around him, it's a recipe for a lot of success."

And not many incompletions.