Pass rusher Daniel impresses with visit to West Virginia, plans another

Pass-rusher Zyir Daniel just started speaking to West Virginia and then made it to campus to attend the Junior Day event to see what the program is all about.

Daniel, 6ft 1, 248lbs, has yet to receive an offer from the Mountaineers but has spoken with defensive line coach Andrew Jackson in recent months. And he traveled to Morgantown to see the program up close.

“I like how the campus is divided into three and how the rail connects them all. I plan to study business administration, so seeing the new $100 million building is definitely my interest,” he said. “We also went to the basketball game and it made a great impression. The atmosphere was crazy.”

Daniel spent most of his time speaking to Jackson, as well as head coach Neal Brown and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley. And during these conversations he learned even more about the school.

“Coach Jackson spoke about the culture and how they develop players. The conversation with Coach Brown was mostly academic and her initiative in the 5th quarter,” he said.

“I was impressed with everything,” he added.

Daniel likes that the coaching staff not only have a plan for the players when it comes to football but also off the field and that there is a strong emphasis on family culture.

On the field, West Virginia likes the fact that Daniel is an intriguing edge rusher, with the frame to add even more weight when needed. And he brings skill from the edge with his footwork, speed, movement and quickness, making him a suitable defensive line player or bandit linebacker.

“I can easily add another 25 pounds and still maintain my quickness and speed,” he said. “Wherever they want to put me, I will do it.”

Daniel gave high marks to the experience and is scheduled to return this summer to attend the one-day camp event in West Virginia and appear before the coaching staff. Last summer he competed at Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Buffalo and several others and plans to do more this year.

In addition to this planned visit to West Virginia, Daniel is hoping to make a trip to Syracuse while also working on several other stops along the way.

Daniel is looking for a situation where he can best fit with both football and education as he wants to excel in both fields while in college.

“I want to be able to be successful at playing football, and West Virginia seems to have it all,” he said.