Daniel has an early favorite
Rivals250 defensive end Elijah Daniel of Avon, Ind., expects to take his recruitment out into his senior season, but already one team is starting to stand out to the four-star prospect.
"Probably Florida because me and Coach [Bryant] Young have a real good connection," Daniel said. "They are most definitely an official visit destination and I am probably going to get back out there for their camp and their spring game."
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Another factor Florida has working in their favor is their location and the conference they play in. Although he now resides in the Midwest, Daniel spent his early life in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama watching SEC football.
"I still have much love for the SEC," Daniel said. "Obviously it is the best conference in America, and I think it is the best football down there."
Daniel has already been on the campuses of Florida, Georgia and Alabama and plans to visit Tennessee, Ole Miss, Auburn and Mississippi State this off-season.
The 6-4, 253-pound Daniel also holds strong interest in schools closer to his Indiana home, however, and plans trips to several of those programs in the near future.
"I think I am going to go to either Kentucky or Louisville this weekend," Daniel said. "I know Louisville a little bit more because DeAndre Herron is going there and he tells me a little bit about them. He says I should come there, it's a good place and we can continue this thing.
"I'm going to take a visit to Ohio State this spring. Ohio State is really, really good and Coach [Mike] Vrabel is a good guy. I really like Coach [Urban] Meyer and they are really excited about me down there."
Additionally, Daniel said he plans to attend several spring games in April. He is starting to climb near 20 total scholarship offers with Ole Miss, Kentucky and Syracuse being the most recent to offer.
Daniel has no set timetable on making his final college selection, though he said it would likely come towards the end or after his senior season of play.