By: Wesley Hayes
The All Vol Call in Show
August 21, 2019
Tennessee has received a commitment from 3* St John’s College HS safety, Mordecai McDaniel. McDaniel is 6’1 195 lbs., and is highly sought after, despite his 3* ranking.
McDaniel holds offers from a multitude of schools, including: Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, and Notre Dame. He has officially visited Penn. St, Notre Dame, Florida, and Tennessee. His mix of size and speed fits the mold of a Jeremy Pruitt safety.
McDaniel has the speed and acceleration to return kicks and punts, but also possess the physical mindset to play the run. He has great hips, and great change of direction. With that being said, the most tantalizing trait that Mcdaniel possess is his play recognition. McDaniel consistently diagnoses plays before they can develop, puts himself in position to make a play, and then makes the play. You can tell that he watches a lot of film by his recognition.
With McDaniel, Tennessee adds another interesting prospect to an already talented secondary. McDaniel is another example of Jeremy Pruitt’s ability to evaluate talent. His rankings aren’t very impressive, but his film certainly is. With his mix of size, speed, and instincts, it's hard to believe that he won't make a jump in the rankings at some point. With time dwindling in this recruiting cycle, Tennessee hopes that McDaniel can help recruit his teammate, 5* WR Rakim Jarrett.