South Carolina football defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has landed a commitment from big-time safety Kendall Daniels, Jr. Daniels, a Virginia native who was a high school teammate of current Gamecock freshman linebacker Fred "JayR" Johnson, has had a roller coaster ride of a recruitment, but the talented defensive back has made the move many Gamecocks fans had been expecting in the spring.
Daniels announced that he was going to reveal his commitment immediately following a successful visit for the Garnet and Black Spring Game, but the commitment never came. The Clemson Tigers and the hometown Virginia Tech Hokies made things interesting at times for the 4-star prospect, but in the end, he committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
🤙🏿🤙🏿#backenddd pic.twitter.com/lBocmoFuxF
— Kendall Daniels Jr (@kendanielsjr_) August 2, 2024
As a player, Daniels now is a consensus 4-star prospect. He has size (listed at 6'3" and 195 pounds) and athleticism, meaning he is the exact type of secondary prospect that Coach Gray targets in recruiting. Like several other Gamecock DBs, Daniels also has played some quarterback in high school, indicating he should have a stronger football IQ and understanding of opposing offenses than many other high school senior defenders.
Daniels is a physical player against the run, and he has experience playing on the back end of the defense and in the box. Against the pass, he is an excellent "center field" player in zone, he is athletic enough to hang in man coverage, and he has been utilized as a blitzer from the slot.
Daniels is joined in the 2025 South Carolina football recruiting class by fellow defensive backs Chris Hatfield (3-star listed at both corner and safety) and Damarcus Leach (4-star safety who has played both corner and safety in high school), and 4-star athlete Jaquel Holman could be a safety at the college level.
You can watch some of his film here.