Special Guest Post by Michael Tallia
T.J. Daniel may not be your typical 4 or 5 star Oregon recruit, but his upside is through the roof.
He stands at 6’7 240 pounds, and if you look at his body type, he looks as though he hasn’t fully grown into it yet. He gained 20 pounds in the offseason this year, which shows this kid has the work ethic worthy of an Oregon football player.
photo left: With his rangy body and athleticism, Daniel might remind Duck fans of The Preying Mantis, Dion Jordan (scout.com photo).
The coaches snagged this kid early for one reason, upside. When reviewing his highlight video you will see that his speed off the edge is undeniable. He has long arms and closes fast on the quarterback.
Granted, Bishop O’Dowds division is “decent” at best. T.J. also plays basketball which tells you this kids footwork has to be better than most football players. He also plays Tight end in his highlight video but he seems stiff and not entirely polished.
Being that I am a Bishop O’Dowd alumni, I have had the pleasure of seeing this kid in person. I remember him as a freshmen and thinking if this kid grows up he’s going to be a special talent in basketball. Now understandably, his basketball career hasn’t turned out how he hoped because it’s pretty hard playing behind Brandon Ashley, who is one of the top Basketball players in the country.
Clearly this kid has grown since I last saw him and football has come into his life. He’s still extremely raw, but his athletic ability is very scary. You can’t teach 6’7 and the ability to put on at least 20-30 more pounds. This kid could bat some balls down just like Brandon Bair did for us last season. He may be new to this whole football thing, but after 2 more seasons I think this kid will be ready to unlock his potential at Oregon.
Oregon’s coaching staff clearly saw promise in Daniel and if you watch his video you can begin to see the potential this kid has. Carlyle Garrick was T.J.’s rival in high school at Castro Valley, so it’s hard to believe he didn’t have some input. He’s still young but let’s give this kid a chance to grow into his body and skill set.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wWmIBOjqhQw
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