Jonathan Daniels: Latest Intel on the 5-Star Offensive Tackle

Kentucky kicked off an important recruiting month by inviting a dozen prospects to Lexington for official visits. A new name on the big board emerged from the guest list, five-star offensive tackle Jonathan Daniels.

Daniels is 6-foot-4.5, 275-pound offensive lineman from Pensacola, Florida. He’s the top-ranked offensive tackle in America, ranked a the No. 11 overall prospect in the On300 for the class of 2024.

Kentucky defensive line coach Anwar Stewart, who’s from the Florida panhandle, helped make it happen, while UK offensive line coach Zach Yenser cultivates a relationship with the highly-touted prospect. It sounds like the the first trip to Lexington may not be his last. Jonathan Daniels said this to On3’s Chad Simmons after his visit.

“I feel great about Kentucky and I can most definitely see myself playing with them,” Daniels said. “This visit was important because I had never been or had that one-on-one time in person with their coaches. To be able come up for an official visit and spend a lot of time with them was very helpful and I definitely better about them.

“I have very high interest and I could see them as one of the top schools on my list.”

The Simmons Scoop

A few days after their conversation, Simmons provided further insight on the larger recruitment of Daniels in his weekly intel column for On3+.

“Kentucky had five-star offensive tackle Jonathan Daniels on campus for an official visit this past weekend. Georgia will host him this weekend,” Simmons shared. “Then it is Florida State, the school that is — and has been — trending for Daniels. He is still taking the process in stride, but the Seminoles continue to sit in a good spot.”

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Roush’s Read

You thought Chad Simmons was the only recruiting guy that could use alliteration? Think again.

Over the years Mark Stoops’ coaching staff has hosted high-profile recruits for official visits. Some times the Wildcat have those players in town to seal the deal and secure a commitment. Other times the Cats are just lucky to get a visit from someone of that caliber. Initially, I thought Jonathan Daniels fit into the latter category. That’s not the case.

After having some discussions with folks around the University of Kentucky, it’s clear that Jonathan Daniels was not just passing along some lip service to Chad Simmons after a fun weekend in Lexington. Kentucky is a legitimate contender in his recruitment. As Simmons noted, Florida State currently appears to be the team to beat, but the Wildcats are up for the challenge.