3-Star TJ McDaniel not looking to repeat history with commitment

COLLEGE STATION – Southlake, Texas, running back/athlete TJ McDaniel isn’t falling for the hype.

After opening his recruitment this spring with an offer from Clemson and proceeding to pick up others from the likes of Minnesota, Oregon and Vanderbilt, among others, he’s come to a somewhat surprising decision as to who his finalists are this summer.

“I’ve got some pretty good offers, but I’ve kind of narrowed it down to SMU and San Diego State,” he said. “There’s a lot of pros and cons right now and it’s really hard to choose. When it comes down to it, I’m going to see where I fit the best. They both have great facilities and great coaching staffs.

“Right now, it’s between those two and it should be coming up before the season. I don’t want to deal with the stress of calling coaches and recruiters during the season, I want to focus on our team this season.”

His choice also is shaded by what he learned from the experience of his older brothers. Where many prospects say they embrace the spirit of competing for a feature role in a top program’s offense, McDaniel has seen enough how things can play out once camp starts and is looking for a more authentic opportunity with the right team.

“I’ve seen two of my brothers kind of be an insurance policy for football teams,” he said. “My oldest brother [Cam McDaniel] was Built Ford Tough Player of the Year, went to Notre Dame and wasn’t used much. He went to the CFL, tried to get film and couldn’t get that there, now he’s just living life.

“My middle brother [Gavin McDaniel] goes to Azusa Pacific and he’s finishing out his senior year there. But I’ve seen both kind of become insurance policies and if a school really wants me after the year, I have to know the same thing isn’t going to happen to me.”

On San Diego State

“Talking to Coach (Jeff) Horton and Coach (Rocky) Long, I love those guys,” he said. “They’ve kind of structured their offense to where in the future, I would be their guy. Probably, when I get there, I would redshirt and let that senior clear out.”

“I’ve looked at all the guys that they’ve had come through there,” he said. “Rashaad Penny – it’s hard to be the running back coming up behind a guy that just went in the first round, but that’s appealing … Same thing with (Donnel) Pumphrey; he was a Heisman finalist, holds the NCAA career rushing record, and for me, I could potentially start for four years and have a ton of yards.”

On SMU

“SMU does have one running back committed and I’m fine with that, I don’t mind competition,” he said. “He’s quick, he’s got some speed, but they’re also looking for another guy that has the speed, the power, and me coming in at 190-pounds with that speed – the film doesn’t lie – I’m fast. That’s a situation that works for me.”

Even though SMU looks to have an added edge as a hometown team, he seemed to have a better handle on what his future could be at San Diego State. Also after having taken more visits there more recently, the Aztecs figure to be in better position with him as he’s trying to make his commitment sometime within the next month. He said that he could potentially reconsider some things with his recruitment after the season, but for now, he seems set on making a decision and calling it good.

“I’ve been to San Diego State twice and I’ve been on SMU’s campus when I went to a game one time,” he said. “I’ve looked at both and don’t need an official visit to know where I want to go. I know that they both love me, so I’m looking to take my official visit sometime in the fall to wherever I commit to just go watch a game and have fun.”