Georgia football hopes to keep running wild in 2015 and beyond (Video)
By Matthew Hall
1. Jaqua Daniels
Jaqua Daniels (6’1, 209) out of Athens, GA, is a 247sports.com 4-Star running back who hails right next door to Georgia playing for Clarke Central High School. While there has been much criticism of Georgia for overlooking talent that resides close to the “Hedges”, Daniels offers a breath of fresh air and has received an offer from the Dawgs.
He is listed as the 14th overall running back and the 19th overall prospect in the state of Georgia per 247Sports.com Composite Rankings. The Clarke Central standout has let it be known that he is high on Georgia and has spoken with former Bulldog running back coach Bryan McClendon on a regular basis. This is a trend that one can only assume will continue with new running back coach Thomas Brown in the future.
Daniels is highly rated but only has two confirmed offers thus far: one from the University of Georgia and most recently from Tennessee who made an offer this past month (January 2015). Those within and outside the realm of college football recruiting have attributed this to the fact that he has had Georgia “on his mind” for some time and providing him with an offer would thus be a waste of time.
Others have credited the lack of offers Daniels has received to his lack of speed. His 40-yard dash time is listed at 4.81 by 247Sports.com which would be considered fairly slow for a running back hoping to land major playing time at a Division I school.
In any event, whether it is his closeness to home or his lack of speed, Daniels is still ranked very favorably allowing for inferences to be drawn that where he might lack swiftness, he is not lacking in power and strength. He has an uncanny ability to find gaps and run through them while showing skills to utilize outside lanes to his advantage.
In other words, Daniels is considered a power back that possesses good stability and intuitiveness. His vigor and volume are his strengths and he is a very effective runner as it relates to racking up yards after being hit.