Dale Daniels – Diamond In The Rough: By Scott Eklund

Dale Daniels (#9)
Dale Daniels (#9)

 

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     This time of year, schools are always looking to supplement their classes with an under-the-radar type that they can let develop for a year or two. Look no further than Cleveland (Seattle, Wa.) WR/S Dale Daniels who was a two-way star for the Eagles and helped lead them to a 5-5 record.

     Daniels was named the Metro League Defensive Player of the Year after 48 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery as well as an amazing 27 pass breakups and eight interceptions. The talented senior also hauled in 43 receptions for 889 yards and 17 scores and it’s that side of the ball that his head coach, Jeff Schmidt, thinks he can be a star at the next level.

     “Honestly, he can do almost anything on the football field, but to men, he’s just a rare talent at receiver and I think he could really make a school and coaching staff really happy if they were to offer and get him,” Schmidt told Northwest Elite Index recently. “He’s got such great body control and I think he’s just now starting to realize his potential. He’s got outstanding ball skills and leaping ability and he’s got great hands.

     “He’s really raw as a receiver, but man, he’s so special when you throw that ball up, someone is going to get him and he’s going to be a star.”

     “What I do best is catch balls,” Daniels said. “I always feel that when the ball is in the air, it’s mine and I’m going to go up and get it.”

     As far as recruiting is concerned, Schmidt said he’s heard from Eastern Washington, Portland State, Boise State and Central Washington and Daniels said he’s received letters from those schools as well as BYU, Cal and UNLV as well.

     “He doesn’t have any offers yet, but that’s probably because he doesn’t have his test scores yet,” Schmidt said. “He’s got his core classes all set and he’s got the right GPA, so now it’s all about his test scores.”

     “I’ve taken it once and I’m scheduled to take again it on the 25th (of January),” Daniels said. “I feel more comfortable taking it now. I’ve been taking the sample tests online and I sorta know what to expect now, so I feel confident that I can improve my scores.”

     At 6’3″ and weighing in at 165 pounds, Daniels knows he needs to get bigger and stronger and that’s been his focus since his senior season ended.

     “I’ve been working out on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays with the team and then I run and lift on my own the other days,” Daniels noted. “My dad has me on this protein shake that’s also helping me add more size and to get stronger, so that’s what I’m doing to reach my goals.”

     We’ll continue to keep tabs on Daniels over the next few weeks and we will update news on him as it happens.