Mater Dei's JT Daniels was 'stunned' to get Stanford offer
Mater Dei five star 2019 quarterback JT Daniels told Cardinal Sports Report that he tries not to approach any of his college visits with expectations. He has an open mind and a checklist of what he wants to see.
But there's no denying that the talented sophomore wanted to add an offer from Stanford to a list already crowded with the other elite programs in the country. That came to be Friday night toward the end of his visit to Stanford.
Daniels was in a conference room with his father, Steve, offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren and quarterback/wide receiver coach Tavita Pritchard when he got the call from head coach David Shaw.
"I was pretty stunned and just super proud and elated to receive an offer from the university," Daniels said of his reaction.
After arriving Thursday afternoon, Daniels and his father only had one full day at Stanford, but it was a complete experience. Given the quarterback's long-held passion for learning the intricacies of football it's not a surprise what was the highlight.
"I did get to see the whole campus and facilities," he said. "My favorite part of the trip was all the one-on-one time with the coaches and getting to talk ball with the best minds in the game. I learned a lot about the game just in that one day and really got to see what Stanford football is like."
Daniels said he doesn't have a set timeline to make a decision -- "I really have no idea about the next step in recruitment" -- and he plans on focusing only on Mater Dei football through the spring.
The plan is for Daniels to return to Stanford June 20. And as the Cardinal coaches continue to build on the already strong relationship it seems that Stanford will be tough to beat.
"Stanford does seem like a perfect fit," said Rivals recruiting analyst Adam Gorney. "The home of Andrew Luck, Daniels seemed to like everything about his Stanford experience and the Cardinal could be tough to beat moving forward in his recruitment.
"There are definitely others under serious consideration but if Daniels and his family continue to build that bond with the Stanford staff then the Pac-12 power will be a serious player as Daniels works toward a decision."