Daniels, former QB at USC, finds new home at Georgia
Georgia has picked up another high-profile transfer to compete for its starting quarterback job, landing former USC starter JT Daniels.
Daniels started for the Trojans in 2018 after graduating early from Mater Dei High, but lost his job to Kedon Slovis after going down last season with a knee injury.
He announced Thursday that he’s heading to Georgia, which is seeking a replacement for threeyear starter Jake Fromm.
“THANK YOU USC,” Daniels wrote on Twitter, linking to a picture of him wearing Georgia’s red-and-black uniform. “Excited for the future. #GoDawgs.”
Daniels, who entered the transfer portal in April, will battle for playing time with graduate transfer Jamie Newman, who left Wake Forest to play his final college season with a program that has been a consistent national contender under coach Kirby Smart.
He started for USC as a freshman, passing for 2,672 yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions during an inconsistent season. Daniels won the starting job again out of camp last summer in new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell’s up-tempo scheme, but the sophomore tore a ligament in his knee in the Trojans’ season opener against Fresno State.
Slovis stepped into the starting job and excelled in Harrell’s offense as a freshman, passing for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns and nine interceptions. The lightly recruited Arizona native was named the Pac-12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year. EX-STANFORD RB SPEIGHTS TRANS
FERS TO NOTRE DAME >> Former Stanford running back Trevor Speights announced that he will transfer to Notre Dame. According to multiple media reports, Speights chose Notre Dame over Rice. He will join the Irish as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
After redshirting in 2016, Speights began to see action in 2017, gaining 142 yards on 36 carries. The next season, he had 59 carries for 221 yards and a touchdown.
Speights, a product of McAllen (Texas) Memorial High School, didn’t play in 2019 for unspecified reasons.
NCAA
POWER FIVE LEAGUES ASK CONGRESS FOR ATHLETE COMPENSA
TION LAW >> The Power Five conference commissioners are asking Congress to move forward with federal legislation regarding compensation for college athletes.
The commissioners of the Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and Southeastern Conference sent a letter dated May 23 to congressional leaders.
They encouraged federal lawmakers to not wait for the NCAA process to play out before passing a national law that would set parameters for college athletes to be compensated for use of their names, images and likenesses.
Last month, the NCAA’s Board of Governors signed off on recommendations that would make it permissible for college athletes to make money for personal endorsements, appearances and sponsorship deals that are currently against the rules.
The NCAA hopes to have legislative proposals crafted by November and ready to be voted on in January.
College basketball
TERRY RETURNING TO ARIZONA AS
ASSISTANT COACH >> Former Arizona star Jason Terry is headed back to the desert.
Arizona hired Terry as an assistant basketball coach, filling a hole on Sean Miller’s staff after Justin Gainey left to become Marquette’s associate head coach.
Terry won a national championship with Arizona in 1997 and became one of six men’s basketball players to have his jersey number hung in the rafters at McKale Center.
Terry played under Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson from 1995-99. He went on to play 19 NBA seasons.
Earnings
FEDERER JUMPS RONALDO, MESSI AS HIGHEST-EARNING ATHLETE >>
Roger Federer earned $106 million before taxes in 2019, making him the top earner in the wide world of sports, according to Forbes Top 100.
The tennis star edged soccer greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who have been in the top spot on Forbes’ list three of the past four years. Ronaldo made $105 million before taxes, according to Forbes, which has Messi third on the list and another soccer star, Neymar, fourth.
NBA players LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant follow Neymar, and golf’s Tiger Woods is No. 8, thanks in large part to $60 million in endorsements.
Women’s tennis players Naomi
Osaka (29th) and Serena Williams (33rd) are on the list, which included two women for the first time since 2016.
Soccer
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL PULLED
FROM ISTANBUL >> UEFA is planning to move the Champions League final away from Istanbul and is considering other locations as planning and scheduling is shaken up by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Champions League final was originally scheduled to be staged today at Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.
Motorsports
ELLIOTT FINALLY CLAIMS NASCAR CUP SERIES WIN AFTER CLOSE
CALLS >> Chase Elliott finally made it to the finish line after recent bad-luck finishing stretches, winning NASCAR’s Alsco Uniforms 500 late Thursday night at Charlotte (North Carolina) Motor Speedway.
Elliott conquered the 312-mile event that encompassed 208 laps, notching a Cup Series victory for the first time this year.
Elliott was in position for potential victories in the past two Cup races. However, he was wrecked by Kyle Busch last week at Darlington, South Carolina, and then in Sunday night’s CocaCola 600, he lost the lead after a restart with two laps to go.