Rangy Safety Sees Stock Rise
Junior to Watch: Daniel Dykes
School: Los Alamitos, Calif.
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Position: Free Safety
Size and Speed: Dykes stands 6-foot-3, weighs 200 pounds and runs the 40 in 4.6. His bench is 235, squat 370, cleans 240 and he recorded a 30-inch vertical jump.
Honors: Selected all-league as a junior.
Statistics: Dykes racked up 105 tackles and picked off four passes.
Favorite Colleges: Dykes has talked to Northwestern, Georgetown and Nevada. Northwestern attended a recent practice specifically to watch Dykes. He has received handwritten letters from Arizona State, Arizona and Boise State. Dykes is also interested in Colorado and Notre Dame.
Skinny: Dykes has excellent bloodlines as his brother plays for Boston College. He is a very rangy player and covers a lot of ground. Dykes is very smart and applies his keen knowledge for the game of football on the field. He is the proverbial “coach on the field.”
“Daniel pretty much runs the defense,” Los Al defensive coordinator Barry Sherr said. “He is the quarterback for our defense.”
That is high praise indeed coming from the defensive coordinator of the CIF Division I champs. Los Al’s defense was dominating throughout the season and ended up 12-0-1.
What is Dykes looking for in a college?
“I’m looking for a good environment,” Dykes said. “I want to go somewhere I can go in and be comfortable. I don’t need to play for the nation’s number one team, just be in a spirited conference with a chance to be competitive with every team on its schedule.”
Dykes has seen his stock rise since May and it is likely to continue as the recruiting season moves onward.