Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M one knows about him on defense, but we have him running the ball, playing a little tight end, some slot receiver. When he came in, he wasn't used to catching the football. His previous school didn't use him on offense, so he's out there ev- ery day, getting on the JUGS machine and perfecting his craft. He's running stadium [bleachers] after we condition. That's the reason why he's going to the level he is. He puts in the work, on and off the field. He's a high GPA kid, too. He's never any trouble at school and is a respectful young man. He checks all the boxes. To see a kid like that who's working even harder to perfect his craft after he already committed, I think says a lot. BWI: How has his season gone so far? Statistically, he appears to be having a good year. TAYLOR: We're six games into the season and he's playing great. I think the biggest thing to stress is how he's doing it. Schools are sliding protections to him all the time. We're also playing against teams that are running double tight [ends], double wings. We've played against a triple-option team. In three of our games, the quarterbacks have been under center and they've run the ball probably 75 percent of the time. We've also gotten out to early leads, which im- pacts him, too. He's got 24 tackles on the year, 11.5 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. I think that's really good. He also has 8 [quarterback] hurries and 2 fumble recoveries, and one of those he took back for a touchdown. We've really only played one team that regularly throws the football, so I think that speaks to the kind of season he's having. He's making plays almost every chance he gets. BWI: What stands out about him physically? Are there a few things that just come naturally to him? TAYLOR: This is the first time we've ever had a kid where you look at him and you're like, "Yeah, that's a D-I guy." He checks all the boxes, like his wingspan, arm length, all of that. We had the best player in the state of West Virginia last year [wide receiver Dom Collins], and he didn't get a Divi- sion I scholarship until the last day of the early signing period. This kid set ev- ery record and ran a 4.2 [40-yard dash] on the laser every camp he went to, and we couldn't get him signed. [He's now a freshman receiver at West Virginia.] But, when you see Daniel, there's no doubt he's a Division I football player. The thing that's so crazy to me is that he still hasn't really developed into his body yet. He's still very, very young-looking. But also, his first step is ridiculous. It's different, and in some ways it's almost kind of difficult for us to coach him be- cause we're playing against Wing-T teams. You don't really have true edge rushers down here. I've asked Coach [James] Franklin and all these other guys how they want us to work with him, and they always just say to keep doing what's best for us and then they'll coach him up when he gets to Penn State. But his first step is absolutely ridiculous. I think that's what sets him apart. Also, his hands are getting much better. Daniel is also the kind of kid that, when you show him how to fix some- thing, he does it almost automatically. He's extremely coachable. Anything he struggles with, he fixes it next week, and that's something we're really proud of. He's starting to become more of a leader, too, which is great to see. He's always had that swagger on the field, but we didn't know what we were going to get from him in the locker room and around the guys. That's exciting to see, because it only helps everyone around him. BWI: Any thoughts on what separated Penn State from the other schools? Have you talked to him about it much? TAYLOR: It always seemed like he spoke highly of Penn State's coaching staff. I didn't have a whole lot to do with his recruitment, but I did have a great talk with Coach Franklin when he came to Princeton to meet with our coaches [in September]. He's a laid-back guy, and I think that relationship that Coach Franklin built with Daniel played a big role. Every time he came back from Penn State, he talked about how much he loved all the coaches there. When you include the atmosphere they have up there, it just felt like home for him. I think that's what set Penn State apart from other schools. BWI: What were your impressions of Franklin when he stopped by the school a few weeks ago? How did that meeting go? TAYLOR: Man, he's so down-to- earth. He actually carried some of my stuff in, which was funny. I joked with him that he made me look like an idiot having this big-time coach carry in a box of Snickers in front of all my coaches. But also, he came a little early, and I've never seen all my coaches come into the locker room so early until that day. I told [Franklin] that I need him to come down all the time to get these guys in the locker room earlier. I'm a West Virginia guy, obviously, but I'll now root for Penn State every time I see them play. He's such a genuine per- son, I thought. He's so easy to talk with and get to know. He didn't have to come down to us right away. He actually came to see us and then went immediately to IMG [Academy in Florida], which I thought was kind of funny. But it was so cool for him to stop by our school to support everyone here and meet every- one. He can't even talk to Daniel yet [off- campus], but he still wanted to make sure he appreciates what we're all doing to help Daniel succeed. Awesome guy. ■ "This is the first time we've ever had a kid where you look at him and you're like, 'Yeah, that's a D-I guy.' He checks all the boxes, like his wingspan, arm length, all of that." P R I N C E T O N S E N I O R C O A C H K E I T H T A Y L O R O N J E N N I N G S