Blue-chip OL Jonathan Daniels commits to Florida State

It’s two days earlier than expected but Alex Atkins has done it again. More excellent news on the recruiting front for the Florida State Seminoles, as highly sought-after offensive lineman Jonathan Daniels has made the call for the garnet and gold.

Daniels is a 6’3”, 280 pound blue-chip offensive lineman at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida. He is ranked as the 104th best player in the nation (5th best interior OL, 12th best prospect in FL) by the 247 Sports Composite List.

He holds nearly 30 offers from the likes of the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, LSU Tigers, Miami (FL) Hurricanes, Michigan State Spartans, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, and Tennessee Volunteers.

Some sites view Daniels as a future offensive tackle while others see him on the interior. Daniels primarily plays outside for Pine Forest, even seeing some reps along the defensive line at times during his junior campaign. Those who listened to our Three Stars podcast analyzing 10 FSU recruits for fans to know will remember our discussion on Daniels, including the comparison to Darius Washington (but with a higher ceiling) — I think he can be a valuable starter at guard at the P5 level, but could also be a serviceable tackle if depth necessitated it.

Florida State is taking a small OL class this cycle and Daniels sits at the top of FSU’s offensive line board for #Tribe24, so getting him verbally committed is a nice boost on the trail for the Seminoles. I had this to say about Daniels in the June 23rd visitor preview article:

Daniels already occupied the top spot on FSU’s offensive lineman board, but with the USC Trojans snatching two other priority targets in Manasse Itete and Jason Zandamela, Daniels has never been more important to the Seminoles’ recruiting efforts. Daniels is a guy who could play multiple positions along the line, primarily seeing time at both right and left tackle for his high school team but with the ability to slide inside if needed.

When evaluating Daniels, think of a guy like current Seminole Darius Washington, but more polished and further along at this stage with fundamentals and quicker feet. Daniels is around 6’4 but has very long arms and huge hands, allowing him to play bigger than he is at times. He will need time in the strength and conditioning program wherever he goes and could be a good redshirt candidate. Daniels would be a crucial addition for OC Alex Atkins’ unit, someone who can easily cross-train and fill in at numerous spots without a severe drop-off in talent.

Check out Tomahawk Nation’s Official Recruiting and Transfer Portal Thread for more on FSU’s newest commitment.