DawgNation Staff
@mikegriffith32
Both Daniels and Burton had lost starting spots and playing time due to injuries and were unable to get them back.
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Daniels, who went 7-0 at Georgia including wins over Top 10-ranked teams Cincinnati and Clemson, will likely finish spring classes at UGA and leave with immediate eligibility as a graduate transfer.
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Burton, who was rumored to be headed to Alabama after he entered the portal on Wednesday, will enroll at another school for the spring semester and go through spring drills.
Daniels and Burton grew close last spring when the two spent time together on the spring break trip the former Bulldogs’ starter arranged for the receivers, backs and tight ends to enhance team chemistry.
Burton and Daniels had already shown on-field chemistry, as the explosive Burton reeled in 8 catches for 197 yards ad 2 touchdowns in Daniels’ 401-yard passing performance against Mississippi State in 2020.
To put things into perspective, Burton had just 26 catches for 497 yards and 5 touchdowns in 14 games this season, an average of 1.85 catches and 35.5 yards per game.
Former Georgia great and single-season yardage record holder Terrence Edwards explained that Burton’s transfer could have been related to the lack of statistics he was able to put up in the Bulldogs’ offense.
“At at the end of the day, kids still love stats,” Edwards told Brandon Adams on DawgNation Daily. “I played the position, I looked at my stats and I still look at them to this day.”
Edwards said UGA can still sell the program and the ability to play for championship and develop young players into men.
But some of the receiver recruits who are keeping Georgia at arm’s lengths have been citing the lack of targets for receivers, something Smart chose not to rectify when he opted to go run heavy in the second half of games rather than allow receivers opportunities to catch targets.
Ole Miss had a more friendly offense for receivers last season in terms of statistics because of the level of quarterback play from outgoing signal-caller Matt Corral, who could make throws at all three levels of the field.
The Bulldogs’ targets were somewhat skewed by tight end Brock Bowers, whose impressive catch radius and ability make yards after the catch made him a practical and popular target for Stetson Bennett.
Bowers, the FWAA Freshman of the Year, returns after making 56 catches for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns — numbers similar to UGA’s No. 2 (Burton) and No 3 (Ladd McConkey) receivers combined (57 catches, 944 yards, 10 touchdowns).
Daniels, meanwhile, looks like a fit for a progressive offense where he can use his football acumen and spray passes to several targets.
Kiffin has proven popular with quarterbacks, the sort of offensive-minded coach who turns playmakers loose.
The Rebels also had the No. 3 rushing offense in the SEC, behind Arkansas (227.8 per game) and Tennessee (217.8), proving capable of running or passing the football as dictated by game circumstances.
Notre Dame, Colorado, Texas A&M, LSU, Penn State and Missouri are among other schools believed to be interested in Daniels.
Mississippi television station WCBI was the first to report the meeting.
