SI99 RB Amari Daniels to Soon Reveal College Commitment
Amari Daniels has dealt with the hype of his dynamic game as a running back prospect since youth league football in south Florida.
He was then an FBU freshman All-American and has all but lived up to the lofty expectations, coming off of a 2019 state championship win, sitting as a member of the SI99 as the nation's No. 5 running back and as an All-American Bowl selection.
The Miami (Fla.) Central senior received his AAB jersey this week in a virtual presentation.
"I've been an All-American all along, but this is what hard work gets you," Daniels told SI All-American. "It's an honor to play among the top 100 players in the country. The best. It's a great opportunity."
By the time Daniels plays in the January game, he will be a verbally committed prospect. In fact, before he suits up in any game as a senior, the plan is to have the college decision behind him.
"I'm gonna be committed before the season starts, before our first game," he said. "When is that first game? I don't know. We just started conditioning. The state of Florida has been practicing but south Florida itself has just been conditioning.
"But I'll be committed within the next two to three weeks, be on the lookout for that."
The 5-foot-8, 194-pound Daniels will soon cut his list in half, but at the moment a quartet of programs remain under consideration.
"I'm focusing on my top four, Penn State, Georgia, Texas A&M and UM (Miami)," he said. "I've been focusing on them, recruiting has been steady but the dead period has been extended to January so I've been sitting back, watching football and seeing what the coaches been telling me. Seeing if it matches what they're telling me and the system I would run in.
"I'm just gonna take it from there."
Set to graduate from Miami Central in December, Daniels will begin his college career in January as an early enrollee prospect.
While he knows there will be a cut, an internal decision has yet to be made between what will be the final two. The criteria he is evaluating has long been clear, however.
"I basically want a system where I feel more comfortable and I can do a lot," Daniels said. "Where I can actually show my skillset. In the NFL these days, let's be honest, it's not all about running downhill, you've got to learn how to be in the passing game, you've got to block. I feel like the colleges I've narrowed it down to can prepare me for that at the next level."
There is no shortage of awareness or confidence from the All-American from a talent or development perspective.
"I feel like I bring a lot to the table, from being a team player on and off the field," he said. "I feel like I can hit you with the run, hit you with the pass. If a team got down bad, I can help out on defense...I can do a lot of positives for a team. I feel like my speed, my strength, even though I probably get a little negative for my size. But running backs these days aren't as big, we're dynamic, that's all that matters.
"I feel like I've grown a lot, bigger, stronger, faster, but I feel like I've learned the game more as it went. Just knowing the X's and O's of the game makes it a lot easier for yourself. Pre-read, see where they want you to run at -- you see the touchdown in your head before it ever happens."
Daniels and the East team roster takes the national stage for the 2021 All-American Bowl on January 9. It will be broadcasted by NBC.
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