The compelling case of Danielson Ike

Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst class of 2019 offensive tackle Danielson Ike will not play his first organized football game until this upcoming season, but already he holds three FBS scholarship offers.

The story of Ike’s emergence as a Division I football prospect is quite unique. He arrived in Miami from his homeland of Nigeria in September, 2015. That following June he moved to Kansas City, but had to sit out all of last football season due to state transfer rules.

Although he lacks game film, the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Ike has impressed with camp performances, including the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas in St. Louis last month where Rivals.com analysts noted, “His calling card… is his power, which he showcased often during on-on-one work.”

“I am just a fast learner and I like to do things with passion,” Ike said.

Ike’s passion for football, though, did not materialize until he arrived in the United States. He had played basketball in Nigeria, but landed in Miami having never watched a football game in his life. By the following spring Ike was already turning heads at big-time Division I programs.

“I went to the LSU camp when I was still a freshman,” Ike recalled. “They were really impressed and wanted to see my first game, but I couldn’t play because I had to sit out one year in Kansas City.”

Since then, Ike has caught the attention of more college programs with offers coming in from Syracuse, Bowling Green and Temple. The floodgates could open once he finally has game tape, but before that time he is hoping to pique a few schools’ interests with summer visits.

“I am trying to visit a couple of schools this summer: Ohio State, Auburn and Nebraska,” Ike said. “At Auburn, I have heard from Coach (Herb) Hand and I’ve heard from Ohio State; nothing from Nebraska though. I have had a coach from Mizzou come see me at Rockhurst. Michigan came out to see me and Arkansas came down.”

The lengths Ike has come in just two years – not only geographically, but also with the game of football – are nearly unheard of. And it begs the question, how much further will he go in two more years when his prep career is complete and his college career is about to start?