Commitment analysis: Tennessee lands DB Mordecai McDaniel
Mordecai McDaniel finally came to a decision after rumors that he could be close to announcing a commitment over the summer. The Washington (D.C.) St. John's College hHigh stand out defensive back ended up choosing the Tennessee Volunteers over Penn State and Florida. McDaniels last two official visits came in June when he Took trips to Tennessee and Penn State but it seems as though coach Pruitt and his staff did enough to make sure that McDaniel didn't get away.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR TENNESSEE
McDaniel brings excellent speed to the secondary for the Volunteers. A track standout posting sub 11-second 100-meter dash times, McDaniel has the skill set to be a ball hawk for Jeremy Pruitt's defense. While McDaniel is still technically raw and has to develop some areas of his game, he has sky-high potential. If defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley is able to get McDaniel anywhere close to reaching his potential in college, fans should expect him to be a multi-year starter for the Vols. There is a very good chance that McDaniel contributes in a big way on special teams and many people expect him to run track as well.
WHY IT HURTS THE TEAMS THAT MISSED
Penn State and Florida were the two other teams that had a good chance of landing a commitment from McDaniel. The Nittany Lions have had a good relationship with McDaniel’s high school over the years and have signed more than a few of his former teammates. Penn State defensive backs coach Terry Smith worked hard to get McDaniel but there were too many things that attracted McDaniel to Tennessee. Adding his speed to the Penn State secondary was a major priority for the Nittany Lions.
For Florida, losing a big-time defensive back to a division rival always hurts but the opportunity at Tennessee was something McDaniel couldn’t pass up.
