The month of June figures to be an extremely busy time for Tennessee on the recruiting trail. UT’s coaches are hosting camps just about every weekend, and several of Tennessee’s targets in the 2020 class are set to visit over the next few weeks. One of the Vols’ top athlete targets is coming to Knoxville on an official visit this upcoming weekend.
Mordecai McDaniel is a high three-star prospect who plays for St. John’s College High School in Washington D.C. in the 2020 class. He released a top five back in early April, and Tennessee made the cut along with Penn State, Notre Dame, Florida, and Georgia. Now, McDaniel is set to make an official visit to UT this weekend.
Official visit up Tennessee this weekend ! ??
— Mordecai McDaniel (@S3NSI_CAI) June 4, 2019
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound athlete is rated as the No. 412 overall player and No. 28 athlete according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s inside the top-400 overall prospects in 247Sports’ regular rankings, coming in at No. 390 overall in those ratings.
Along with the teams in his top five, McDaniel also holds offers from Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Michigan, and others.
Tennessee defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker are his two main recruiters with the Vols.
Not only is McDaniel a talented athlete and an intriguing target on his own, but he’s teammates with two other UT targets in the 2020 class. Five-star wide receiver and LSU commit Rakim Jarrett and high three-star defensive end Greg Hudgins also play for St. John’s College High School, and both have been on Tennessee’s radar for quite some time.
McDaniel plays multiple positions in high school. As a wide receiver, he can flat out fly for his size. In most of his highlights, he creates easy separation between any defender and has very good hands. McDaniel is very good at adjusting to the deep ball, often catching it in stride for a score. He is an electric kick returner and always appears one cut away from hitting the home run ball and returning one for a touchdown. As a defensive back, he is a sideline-to-sideline player who is able to cover the whole field with his speed. He’s very keen on recognizing the play and using his speed to close in for the tackle, often tackling his opponents with brutal force. McDaniel plays with a mean streak.
Not only is McDaniel a standout on the football field, but he runs track for St. John’s College as well. He ran the 55 meters — which is approximately 60 yards — in a blazing 6.54 seconds.
McDaniel has already taken official visits to Notre Dame and Florida, which just leaves Penn State and Georgia in his top five that he hasn’t taken official visits to yet. The Vols are in a good spot with McDaniel, but there’s stiff competition for the versatile athlete.
