Todd Monken on JT Daniels: ‘The more success we have, the more fun it will be’

Todd Monken knows his time at Georgia will largely be viewed through how successfully he develops the quarterback position. For this year, that means the continued improvement of JT Daniels.

Monken and Daniels have both spoken fondly of each other when asked. They were brought into the Georgia program for the same reason: To help turn the Georgia offense into one of the best in the country.

“We’re tied together. Let’s not kid ourselves,” Monken said. “That relationship, the more success we have, the more fun it will be; the less success we have, it’s not that much fun. So, the better he gets and the better I do, the better relationship will be.”

There’s another aspect though to the Monken-Daniels relationship that explains why the 2020 season didn’t go as planned for the Georgia program. It would be the timing of their arrivals.

Monken showed up in January, shortly before COVID-19 began wiping out much of the offseason planning period. Daniels arrived in late May. But enough time hadn’t passed for his surgically repaired knee to fully heal. He wasn’t medically cleared until after the first game of the 2021 season.

It would take even more time for Daniels to see the field, as his first start came in November against Mississippi State.

“With any relationship, it takes time, as much as anything,” Monken said. “Over time, you get to know each other and, you know, figure out how to get somebody to be at his best as a player or just a human being.

“So it just takes time to get him to understand what we want to do offensively, what we need him to do with the team in terms of leading, in terms of being a coach on the field. So, I think the biggest thing is just time.”

Monken and Daniels have had plenty of time to collaborate this offseason as it has been a much more traditional offseason around the sport. Monken added he feels much comfortable in his role this season and will look to build off the success the Georgia offense had with Daniels at the end of the 2020 season.

Once Daniels became the starting quarterback, the Georgia offense shifted into a higher gear. The team averaged 37 points and 486 yards per game in the four starts made by Daniels. In the other six games, Georgia scored just 28 points and racked up only 382 yards per game.

Despite the obvious progress, if Georgia wants to hang with the elite offenses in the sport, Daniels, Monken and the small arsenal of skill players on the Georgia roster need to do even more in 2021.

As opposed to rehabbing a knee injury while working with back-ups, Daniels has now spent this offseason working as QB1. That should have a big impact on the Georgia team, per Monken.

“You’re gathering guys to watch film, gathering guys to go out to California,” Monken said. “You don’t do that when you’re one of five. You know, that’s probably as much as anything, is it’s hard, you know, to do that when you’re not really the guy that stands in front of them. So that’s just involved over time with his position with the team.”

Head coach Kirby Smart said something similar when speaking with reporters last week. Now that Daniels no longer has to fight for playing time, he seems much more at ease with being a leader.

“Just sheer connection has improved, which therefore has improved confidence,” Smart said. “It’s much more easier to demand excellence when you know somebody personally than walk out there and you’ve been on Zoom for three months like we were this time last year. He’s in a much better position to be confident.”

Both Daniels and Monken enter the 2021 season with great expectations. They’ve got each other to thank for that, as their — and Georgia’s — success will be tied together in this coming season.

“We’ll do everything in our power to create the best version of the offense we can for the University of Georgia,” Monken said.

Todd Monken discuss Georgia football offense, JT Daniels and Arik Gilbert

More Georgia football stories from around DawgNation