Chris Daniels’ old man — who’s really not so ‘old’ once you do the math — had a tough decision on his hands: Go play quarterback at Nebraska or Michigan or UAPB?
He and his wife, both now licensed vocational nurses, had Daniels, the oldest of three siblings, at 17. Mom had a track offer from a school close to home in the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff where she would enroll. Anyone who’s been married with kids already knows what Dad’s eventual college-decision would be.
Daniels has that father, a grandfather and a little brother who’re all quarterbacks. It’s a blue-collar family with a lot of football tradition interspersed in. Clearly, between brothers and fathers and their fathers, a lot of time was spent throwing it around. Holding it and feeling it and just being around it — gaining a respect for what it represented. The actual football.
And we wonder, among all these quarterbacks, how did such a beastly defensive lineman emerge?
You’ll soon see that we’ve been right about Chris Daniels all along. We welcome you back to …
The Deep Dig
Freshman Profile Series: DL Chris Daniels
presented by Hat Creek Burger Company
“I was always bigger and taller than everyone,” Daniels said, “from when I was a freshman in high school all the way back, I played slot receiver and running back.”
Daniels — who’s now 6-4 and 320 pounds as he begins his career at Texas — started playing organized football at age 7 and would clearly make the for world’s largest slot receiver at this stage in his development.
“I moved over here with the big boys and I knew I wasn’t going to be moving back,” Daniels said of his days as a skill-position player. The speed and agility are still there, though, as Daniels has been electronically timed at 5.08 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
“I love it,” he said of football, “just strapping up the pads, the physicality, hitting each other. I don’t like having to wait three days when camp starts to get the pads on and get hitting. The physicality, the tiredness, the running, the blood, the sweat.”
Fans have viewed Daniels as a sure-fire defensive tackle commitment since his signing day commitment to Texas, but we’ve been on record at the Deep Dig as saying the kid simply looks a natural five-technique.
It turns out we were right all along.
“Coach Strong and Coach BJ told me I’d be playing at defensive end 90% of the time,” Daniels said.
Whether the coaches meant this literally or if they envisioned he’d be playing 90 percent of his snaps in situations where the defense is in odd-front and the defensive tackle is technically lined up as an end, it still seems like Strong likes him physically at a five-technique, too.
Daniels says the Texas coaches want him down to about 310 pounds for the season, which would clearly represent a very large Big 12 edge-player, even as a freshman.
Picturing Daniels off the edge will remind fans of former Oklahoma Sooners DE Charles Tapper in numerous ways. Most importantly, both players are long and more substantial and stronger than you would expect based on their flexibility and speed.
“I’m both,” Daniels answered when asked if he was a set-the-edge player or a rush-the-passer player, “That’s what I can bring is that versatility to line up in a few places in one package.”
edit shared via Chris Daniels Twitter
Here’s the thing — Daniels was sold on the same recruiting pitch that classmate Jordan Elliott was. That is, the opportunity to come in and learn an array of positions along the defensive line in the mold of former DT Malcom Brown, who Strong tells recruits was coveted in the NFL draft due to his versatility.
Whether Daniels lines up immediately at SDE, defensive tackle, a sub-package DT that looks like a 3-4 DE or a combination of all alignments listed, he says that when you look at the depth chart ahead of him at both the defensive tackle and SDE positions, one thing is clear:
“If I don’t get playing time in 2016, it’s my own fault,” Daniels said.
“The minute (Coach Strong) walked in the door, I knew I was de-committing (from Oklahoma).”
Daniels had a very strong connection with head coach Charlie Strong. Daniels’ first offer was from Western Michigan, then no more came for a year due to what Daniels says were worries over whether his ACT score would be good enough.
“After the first Trinity game that season (after getting he ACT score needed to qualify), USC offered,” Daniels said, “Auburn, in all, I had 42 offers.”
Charlie Strong says that social media is the downfall of society and we tend to agree strongly with him around here. However, it was certainly helpful to Daniels in his recruitment process.
“I tweeted about my ACT score and I got 20 offers in five days,” Daniels said.
And through a wild recruitment process, Daniels committed to Oklahoma on his birthday, December 18th, 2015.
“I talked to (Coach Strong) a week later, though, and I kind of knew I had a good connection with him. The minute Coach Strong walked in that door (on the in-home visit), I knew I was de-committing (from Oklahoma),” Daniels said.
So many fans always ask if Coach Strong partakes in the “negative recruiting” that rival coaches are rumored to, and Daniels would tell you no.
“They didn’t come in and talk bad about anybody. They didn’t bash any colleges. They told me how they were going to change my life,” Daniels said about his flipping to Texas, “It’s just how Coach Strong was, it was everything they’ve done.”
How many college defensive linemen do you know who are actors? Chris Daniels loves to act and will be majoring in Theatre Arts at the University of Texas.
“I just love to act,” Daniels said, “I’ve always liked to be the funny guy at school, I’ve taken theatre arts since I was in sixth grade. For the last few years, (football) had made it too hard to do both, but I’m excited about getting back to acting.”
Daniels is also excited about meeting his new teammates while also reuniting with his own high school teammate from Euless Trinity.
“Just being a part of the team, getting my locker,” Daniels said about what he was looking forward to most, “Austin. My teammates — my former teammate Patrick Vahe, we were leaders together (in high school). We’ll do the (Tongan Haka Dance) after the Notre Dame game, they taught me all the words, I used to be one of the (dance leaders).”
Photo by Mike Stone, TexasHSSFootball.com
Getting to Know Chris Daniels: Quick Hits
You’ve gotten to know people in your recruiting class, describe these guys briefly
Erick Fowler - most potential of anyone in the class
Jordan Elliott - ready to learn
Eric Cuffee - hard-worker, wants to be the best
iPhone or Android - iPhone
Gatorade or Powerade - Gatorade
Under Armour or Nike - Nike
Choose One: Fishing, Hunting or Camping - Hunting
Would you rather live in a world where Godzillas were real or where Vampires were real - Godzillas
Favorite Restaurant - Asian Buffet
Breakfast Taco or Breakfast Sandwich - Taco
What goes on a perfect hamburger - Mayo, ketchup, tomatoes, mustard, grilled onions, lettuce, pickle relish, cheese
Favorite Band or Musician - Michael Jackson
Chili: Beans or no Beans - WITH BEANS
(Technically, we’re classifying his answer as WITH BEANS as this is the quote: “If I’m putting it on a hot dog, I don’t want beans. If I’m eating a bowl of chili with crackers I like it with beans.” In essence, Chris Daniels views beanless chili as hot dog sauce).
Here is the Deep Dig’s tally on player preferences in the beans/no beans debate thus far.
WITH BEANS
Breckyn Hager
Chris Daniels
NO BEANS
Anthony Wheeler
Charles Omenihu
PJ Locke
Jordan Elliott
... And finally, what message would he give the masses at Orangebloods?
“We’re making history,” Daniels said.
He and his wife, both now licensed vocational nurses, had Daniels, the oldest of three siblings, at 17. Mom had a track offer from a school close to home in the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff where she would enroll. Anyone who’s been married with kids already knows what Dad’s eventual college-decision would be.
Daniels has that father, a grandfather and a little brother who’re all quarterbacks. It’s a blue-collar family with a lot of football tradition interspersed in. Clearly, between brothers and fathers and their fathers, a lot of time was spent throwing it around. Holding it and feeling it and just being around it — gaining a respect for what it represented. The actual football.
And we wonder, among all these quarterbacks, how did such a beastly defensive lineman emerge?
You’ll soon see that we’ve been right about Chris Daniels all along. We welcome you back to …
. . .
The Deep Dig
Freshman Profile Series: DL Chris Daniels
presented by Hat Creek Burger Company
. . .
“I was always bigger and taller than everyone,” Daniels said, “from when I was a freshman in high school all the way back, I played slot receiver and running back.”
Daniels — who’s now 6-4 and 320 pounds as he begins his career at Texas — started playing organized football at age 7 and would clearly make the for world’s largest slot receiver at this stage in his development.
“I moved over here with the big boys and I knew I wasn’t going to be moving back,” Daniels said of his days as a skill-position player. The speed and agility are still there, though, as Daniels has been electronically timed at 5.08 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
“I love it,” he said of football, “just strapping up the pads, the physicality, hitting each other. I don’t like having to wait three days when camp starts to get the pads on and get hitting. The physicality, the tiredness, the running, the blood, the sweat.”
. . .
Fans have viewed Daniels as a sure-fire defensive tackle commitment since his signing day commitment to Texas, but we’ve been on record at the Deep Dig as saying the kid simply looks a natural five-technique.
It turns out we were right all along.
“Coach Strong and Coach BJ told me I’d be playing at defensive end 90% of the time,” Daniels said.
Whether the coaches meant this literally or if they envisioned he’d be playing 90 percent of his snaps in situations where the defense is in odd-front and the defensive tackle is technically lined up as an end, it still seems like Strong likes him physically at a five-technique, too.
Daniels says the Texas coaches want him down to about 310 pounds for the season, which would clearly represent a very large Big 12 edge-player, even as a freshman.
Picturing Daniels off the edge will remind fans of former Oklahoma Sooners DE Charles Tapper in numerous ways. Most importantly, both players are long and more substantial and stronger than you would expect based on their flexibility and speed.
“I’m both,” Daniels answered when asked if he was a set-the-edge player or a rush-the-passer player, “That’s what I can bring is that versatility to line up in a few places in one package.”
edit shared via Chris Daniels Twitter
Here’s the thing — Daniels was sold on the same recruiting pitch that classmate Jordan Elliott was. That is, the opportunity to come in and learn an array of positions along the defensive line in the mold of former DT Malcom Brown, who Strong tells recruits was coveted in the NFL draft due to his versatility.
Whether Daniels lines up immediately at SDE, defensive tackle, a sub-package DT that looks like a 3-4 DE or a combination of all alignments listed, he says that when you look at the depth chart ahead of him at both the defensive tackle and SDE positions, one thing is clear:
“If I don’t get playing time in 2016, it’s my own fault,” Daniels said.
. . .
“The minute (Coach Strong) walked in the door, I knew I was de-committing (from Oklahoma).”
Daniels had a very strong connection with head coach Charlie Strong. Daniels’ first offer was from Western Michigan, then no more came for a year due to what Daniels says were worries over whether his ACT score would be good enough.
“After the first Trinity game that season (after getting he ACT score needed to qualify), USC offered,” Daniels said, “Auburn, in all, I had 42 offers.”
Charlie Strong says that social media is the downfall of society and we tend to agree strongly with him around here. However, it was certainly helpful to Daniels in his recruitment process.
“I tweeted about my ACT score and I got 20 offers in five days,” Daniels said.
And through a wild recruitment process, Daniels committed to Oklahoma on his birthday, December 18th, 2015.
“I talked to (Coach Strong) a week later, though, and I kind of knew I had a good connection with him. The minute Coach Strong walked in that door (on the in-home visit), I knew I was de-committing (from Oklahoma),” Daniels said.
So many fans always ask if Coach Strong partakes in the “negative recruiting” that rival coaches are rumored to, and Daniels would tell you no.
“They didn’t come in and talk bad about anybody. They didn’t bash any colleges. They told me how they were going to change my life,” Daniels said about his flipping to Texas, “It’s just how Coach Strong was, it was everything they’ve done.”
. . .
How many college defensive linemen do you know who are actors? Chris Daniels loves to act and will be majoring in Theatre Arts at the University of Texas.
“I just love to act,” Daniels said, “I’ve always liked to be the funny guy at school, I’ve taken theatre arts since I was in sixth grade. For the last few years, (football) had made it too hard to do both, but I’m excited about getting back to acting.”
Daniels is also excited about meeting his new teammates while also reuniting with his own high school teammate from Euless Trinity.
“Just being a part of the team, getting my locker,” Daniels said about what he was looking forward to most, “Austin. My teammates — my former teammate Patrick Vahe, we were leaders together (in high school). We’ll do the (Tongan Haka Dance) after the Notre Dame game, they taught me all the words, I used to be one of the (dance leaders).”
Photo by Mike Stone, TexasHSSFootball.com
. . .
Getting to Know Chris Daniels: Quick Hits
You’ve gotten to know people in your recruiting class, describe these guys briefly
Erick Fowler - most potential of anyone in the class
Jordan Elliott - ready to learn
Eric Cuffee - hard-worker, wants to be the best
iPhone or Android - iPhone
Gatorade or Powerade - Gatorade
Under Armour or Nike - Nike
Choose One: Fishing, Hunting or Camping - Hunting
Would you rather live in a world where Godzillas were real or where Vampires were real - Godzillas
Favorite Restaurant - Asian Buffet
Breakfast Taco or Breakfast Sandwich - Taco
What goes on a perfect hamburger - Mayo, ketchup, tomatoes, mustard, grilled onions, lettuce, pickle relish, cheese
Favorite Band or Musician - Michael Jackson
Chili: Beans or no Beans - WITH BEANS
(Technically, we’re classifying his answer as WITH BEANS as this is the quote: “If I’m putting it on a hot dog, I don’t want beans. If I’m eating a bowl of chili with crackers I like it with beans.” In essence, Chris Daniels views beanless chili as hot dog sauce).
Here is the Deep Dig’s tally on player preferences in the beans/no beans debate thus far.
WITH BEANS
Breckyn Hager
Chris Daniels
NO BEANS
Anthony Wheeler
Charles Omenihu
PJ Locke
Jordan Elliott
... And finally, what message would he give the masses at Orangebloods?
“We’re making history,” Daniels said.
. . .
