Pennsylvania edge DaKendrick Daniels sets Christmas commitment date
Colorado edge target DaKendrick Daniels, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect from Downingtown (Bishop Shanahan) Penn., has penciled in a commitment date of Dec. 25, Christmas Day.
The Buffaloes and Central Michigan are the two programs he's considering the most as his decision day inches closer.
Daniels, son of former Philadelphia Eagles assistant defensive line coach Phillip Daniels, had a relationship with CU's Chris Wilson prior to the Buffs recruiting him, seeing as Wilson and his father won Super Bowl LII rings together overseeing the Eagles' d-line in 2017.
Since Daniels was offered by the Buffaloes over the summer, Wilson has been aided on the recruiting trail by OLBs coach Brian Michalowski, who envisions the Pennsylvania native as a hybrid edge, were he to choose Colorado.
“It’s been great," he said. "Speaking about coach 'B-Mike,' he’ll send me some clips from practice or some stuff that can help me use it in my game in high school — he sends me a lot of coaching tips or things I can use. Small stuff like that just shows me how much they care about me as a person and a football player."
With just over a month remaining until he is set to announce where he'll be heading for college, Daniels has a blueprint in mind for how he'll eventually come to that conclusion.
While Colorado and Central Michigan remain the primary options he's considering, Daniels also holds offers from Fordham and Valparaiso, while a number of other programs, FBS and FCS, remain in communication with him, albeit without having offered.
“For right now, the two schools I’m trying to lock in on are Central Michigan and Colorado," he said. "I’m still trying to somewhat focus on some of the FCS offers I have, but I’m pretty sure the next decision I’ll make before my commitment decision is probably if I want to go the FCS route or the FBS route."
"For right now, those two teams, offer-wise, are the two I’m focusing in on.”
This Friday, Bishop Shanahan (10-3) plays for a PIAA Class 4A Eastern quarterfinals game against 12-1 Valley View. Daniels and the Eagles come off a 14-7 victory over Monsignor Bonner.
“This season, personally, has been great," Daniels said. "I’ve been able to prove a lot of things to myself. I’ve been able to recognize small things, big things that I’ve improved upon the whole season and it’s just all kind of falling together. I’m starting to get a feel for where I’ll fit in in college.”
On the immediate horizon for Daniels is a possible official visit to Mount Pleasant, so that he may more intimately check out Central Michigan.
That plan is currently in the making for early December but has yet to be officially penciled in.
"Everything’s been good with them, too," Daniels said of CMU. "The coaching staff, they seem really real, really humble — out there for us, the recruits. It’s pretty similar for how Colorado’s recruiting me. They’re great people and they want me on and off the field. It’s really a close battle between those two schools."
"I gave myself a month to see what else comes along down the road just to give myself some time to go out and see Central Michigan’s campus and evaluate from there.”
While Michalowski and Wilson have stayed on him, Daniels hasn't felt pressured as the early signing period approaches.
"Regardless of what I decide, they’re going to be with me by my side," Daniels said of Colorado. "It’s been great to continue to learn more and more about the program and get to know them and some of the other staff members throughout the whole process.”