Georgia's Smart 'hopeful' JT Daniels is cleared for season opener

Georgia quarterback JT Daniels still hasn't been cleared for Saturday's clash against Arkansas, head coach Kirby Smart said, according to The Athletic's Seth Emerson.

The signal-caller tore his ACL during the season opener last campaign, and Smart says he's "hopeful" Daniels will be medically in the next few days. Daniels has been participating in team scrimmages, but he hasn't been given the green light for game action.

Smart revealed last week that Daniels underwent a second knee procedure in December that pushed back his return timeline.

The 20-year-old transferred from USC to Georgia earlier this year, and he was expected to be the starter after quarterback Jamie Newman opted out of the 2020 season to prepare for the NFL.

If Daniels isn't ready for the squad's season opener, Georgia will likely turn to D'Wan Mathis. Mathis missed last season after undergoing emergency surgery on a brain cyst. Daniels and Mathis split first-team reps during the team's scrimmage.