Top 20 Ole Miss Targets: #8 Elijah Daniel
(Luke Stampini, Florida.247sports.com)
Elijah Daniel
Defensive End
Avon High School
Avon, Ind.
6’3 249 Lbs. (per Rivals.com)
Rivals: 4 star #8 position
Scout: 4 star #4 position
ESPN: 4 star #6 position
Other notable offers: Marshall (visited), Mississippi State (visited), Florida (scheduled visit), Arizona State (scheduled visit), Clemson (decommitted), Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee
2013 depth at defensive end: Kameron Wood (So.), Channing Ward (So.), CJ Johnson (Jr.), Carlos Thompson (Jr.), Cameron Whigham (Sr.)
Scouting report: He’s a big defensive end at 249 pounds and has been menacing getting off the line of scrimmage this year. Calling him a speed-rusher would not fit, but saying that he does not have a quick first move would be negligent. The usage of his hands are impressive and he seems to have no trouble getting around defenders. A sure tackler, he engulfs the ball carrier and should have no trouble tackling players in the SEC should he choose that route. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up his production after he moves from Indiana high school quality to southeastern talent, with the speed, size, and athleticism generally better. His tape will not necessarily “wow” you, but he will be a stable, productive end when he gets to college.
Likelihood of signing with Ole Miss: Daniel was raised in Alabama and his oldest brother Montez Robinson played defensive end at Georgia, so the SEC ties are there. He is also considering the home-state Hoosiers due to the amount of commits and current players that he is comfortable and familiar with. He used his first visit on the Thundering Herd, where his brother Armonze Daniel is a defensive end. Originally a Clemson commit, he was shown a cold shoulder by the Tigers because he was scheduling other visits, causing the two to part ways. Early on in his recruitment it seemed as though the teams to beat were the Hoosiers and the Herd, but it now appears that both schools are unlikely destinations. He has visited both Mississippi schools and they are each in the running for Daniel, with Florida seriously in the mix as well. The Gators hope to bring in either Daniel or Ebenezer Ogundeko, but not both. If Daniel or Ogundeko decide to go to the Gators, that could affect Ole Miss’s recruiting. All-in-all it looks like it is the Gators to beat, with State close behind. Anything can happen with February just around the corner, but I have Ole Miss at 25 percent.
Rankings thus far:
8. Elijah Daniel
9. Shaq Wiggins
10. Montravius Adams
11. Ebenezer Ogundeko
12. Ashton Shumpert
13. Jason Carr
14. Mitchell Parsons
15. Kailo Moore
16. Corn Elder
17. Christian Morris
18. Lavon Hooks
19. Dan Skipper
20. Duke Riley