Tag: Darrion Daniels

It’s a unique challenge to be a graduate transfer at a top college football program, but Nebraska’s Darrion Daniels made the most of his new surroundings after leaving Oklahoma State.

A well-rounded defensive line prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft, Daniels recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about the transition from Stillwater to Lincoln, his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, and what kind of player he’ll be at the next level.

JM: You were an Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten in 2019, as voted by your coaches. You were also voted a team captain in 2019, and made the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll in both the fall and spring of 2019. What a year you had for somebody that was a graduate transfer, right?

DD: It was one of my most focused years. I came in as a grad transfer, just like you said. I was instantly viewed as one of the most experienced guys on the team. I’m very thankful for how my coaches and teammates welcomed me with open arms at Nebraska. They respected me and I wanted to make sure that I lived up to the billing. I didn’t want anybody’s confidence in me to waiver. I tried to conduct myself like a professional in everything that I did. I wanted to study film like a pro, I wanted to practice like a pro and so on. I used 2019 as a way to set up my future. I think the accolades that you read off were a result of the hard work that I put into everything.

JM: How do you look back on the decision to transfer from Oklahoma State to Nebraska?

DD: At first, it was a complete leap of faith. I’m gonna be honest with you. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn’t get recruited to go to Nebraska. I didn’t have any connections within the Nebraska coaching staff until two weeks after I graduated from Oklahoma State. It was a total leap of faith. I was really nervous about it. I was a new graduate entering the transfer portal, and I didn’t have a guaranteed destination. I didn’t know what was gonna happen.

When I got there, everything worked out way better at Nebraska than I could have hoped. My expectations were very low, because I had no idea what to expect. I didn’t think that I would get the opportunity to come in and have the impact that I did. Everything worked out so well. I really think that the decision to come to Nebraska was the right decision for me.

JM: You’re pursuing your master’s degree in applied science. What interests you about that?

DD: I received a degree in marketing from Oklahoma State. When I started discussing my enrollment at Nebraska, I hopped on the phone with several members of their academics department. We were trying to figure out the best fit for me in terms of what master’s program I could enroll in. We discussed various programs and applied science was one of them.

I didn’t know a whole lot about it but as we continued our discussions and they broke down the program outlook for me, my interest was piqued. I was able to pick and choose different courses that could be valuable to me. I was able to take a lot of advertising and business classes. Those courses made a lot of sense for somebody that already had a degree in marketing. It could set me up for a future after football.

JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?

DD: It was a great experience, albeit a very long one. Outside of the medical checks and how long you spend in the waiting room, I made some really great memories out there. I really appreciated everybody that was there. I had some conversations with a lot of great athletes. It was just a fun time. It gave me a chance to showcase my abilities among all of the top athletes all over the country. I’ve been waiting my whole life for the opportunity.

JM: Taking every aspect of the combine into account, what do you think is the overall impression that you left out there?

DD: I think I left a really good impression. I’m a very patient guy. I conducted myself like a professional out there. I was very humble in all of my interviews and I thought they went well. I was very articulate throughout the formal interviews. I feel like I did a good job showcasing my knowledge of the game. Being in the waiting room for the medical checks, I was very patient and kept my composure. I was very respectful to everybody I encountered. I think from a personality aspect, I left a very good impression on everybody there.

JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?

DD: I wasn’t asked anything strange. I expected to cover every topic that was discussed with me. I didn’t get any off-the-wall questions.

JM: Were you able to get any private visits or workouts in before COVID-19 pulled everybody off the road?

DD: I was blessed that our pro day was actually one of the last ones that happened. We had our pro day, and we had a great turnout of NFL personnel there. Everything started shutting down just a few days later. I had an opportunity to run through some drills with the D-line coach from the Tennessee Titans. That happened right after my pro day. He got together with myself and Khalil Davis on the morning of pro day and gave us a bunch of plays. He let us catch our breath after pro day, he set up some drills and we re-joined him on the field to run through the plays and drills he had given us in the morning. He wanted to see how we were able to memorize the plays from that morning.

I also worked out privately for the Miami Dolphins after my pro day.

JM: I imagine you’ve moved all of your team meetings to the phones since then. Which teams have you met with via FaceTime and such?

DD: I’ve spoken with the Cardinals, Jaguars and Bears recently. Those are the only ones I can think of right now.

JM: At this point in time, are you more comfortable playing as a run stopper or pass rusher?

DD: I’m very comfortable playing against the run. The run game comes easy to me. I’m a big guy and I take up a lot of space. I eat up blocks, I’m used to taking on double teams. I’m very hard to move off my spot. Stopping the run has been my bread and butter. I’m very disciplined in the run game. I’m able to out-man the person in front of me. I’ve done a great job in the run game.

I’m comfortable as a pass rusher as well. It really just depends on the down and distance. My film does a good job showcasing my athleticism and ability in the passing game. I move well for my size. I’ve always felt like stopping the run is one of the most important aspects of the game. Not every team was fortunate to have great receivers or even a great quarterback at the collegiate level. When you can’t run the ball, you can’t win a game. That’s why I’m more comfortable in the run game.

JM: What are some of your go-to moves as a pass rusher?

DD: I’m a big, powerful guy. I love using the bull rush. It’s definitely one of my favorite ways to rush the passer. I’m a big guy, but I move well for my size. I can catch an offensive linemen off-guard. Once they start expecting the bull rush, I have a few counters up my sleeve as well.

JM: What can you tell me about the scheme that you guys ran at Nebraska and what your coaches asked of you?

DD: It’s pretty funny when I look back at that. I don’t think I fully appreciated the beauty of what we did on defense from a system point of view until recently. As I’ve been meeting with these NFL coaches and answering questions about our scheme, they’ve been pulling up our tape on defense and asking me to break it down for them. We did such a great job disguising things. I’m hearing the same thing from a lot of these NFL coaches and that’s that every play looks the same to them. They can’t tell what’s what and that’s because our coaches did such a good job disguising our packages.

I played the zero-nose in our 3-4 defense. I double gapped. I was responsible for both A-gaps and I manhandled the center. I had to make sure that nothing was ran in-between the A-gap and the B-gap.

JM: What kind of guy is Darrion Daniels going to be at the next level?

DD: I’m gonna be somebody that adds something to the culture. I’ve always been a team-first, team-oriented kinda guy. I feel like I raise the level of intensity and motivation in the locker room. I’ve always held the guys around me accountable. I expect greatness out of my teammates. I’m gonna be the same guy at the next level. They’re gonna get somebody that’s gonna improve the locker room morale.

[vertical-gallery id=615330]