Lobos will turn transfer loose
Daniels defensive force in California
All but one of his 2015 junior college transfers, New Mexico football coach Bob Davie says, have a redshirt year available.
And, he says, the Lobos finally have enough depth to redshirt a significant number of those players — have them sit out this season to gain athletic and academic traction — if that’s deemed advisable.
Maurice Daniels, he says, will not be one of those redshirts. It’s just not advisable. “He’s gonna play,” Davie said. “He’s gonna play.”
Daniels, a junior, came to UNM from Chicago by way West Hills College in Coalinga, Calif. Best known as a tight end at Chicago’s Robeson High School — he caught eight touchdown passes and averaged 20 yards per catch as a senior — he blossomed as a defensive end at West Hills.
Last fall, Daniels led all California junior college players with 19 ½ sacks. He also had 28 ½ tackles for loss and five forced fumbles on the season.
All of a sudden, the underrecruited kid from Chicago had scholarship offers from Arizona State and TCU.
He chose New Mexico instead, he said, because of a prior relationship UNM defensive line coach Barry Sacks had built with a former coach of his.
“There was a connection there,” Daniels said after Sun-
day morning’s practice. “And when I came out on a visit, they showed me a lot of love here.”
Daniels will not, however, be playing in Sacks’ position group. At 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds, with that tight end’s speed, he’s small for a defensive end but a near-perfect fit at outside rush linebacker.
And that’s where UNM has him.
“He’s a natural pass rusher,” Davie said. “... You put the tape on, and it just jumps out at you.”
The transition from defensive end to linebacker, from hand in the dirt to standing up, from driving forward on every play to sometimes dropping back in pass coverage, is a major one. The Lobos have two experienced players, returning starter Donnie White and senior Richard Winston, at rush linebacker. Under those circumstances, a redshirt year for Daniels might have seemed appropriate.
Daniels, though, says the transition is going smoothly.
“It’s been a big adjustment,” he said. “... But I like it. It’s great.”
To be eligible this fall, Daniels had to pass 24 credit hours at West Hills in the spring.
“He really did some amazing things academically,” Davie said.
Though Daniels harbors hopes to play in the NFL, he has an alternative plan that includes a degree in criminal justice and a career as a police officer or a firefighter.
Davie’s plan is to turn Daniels loose on opposing quarterbacks. That White and Winston have competition at rush linebacker, he said, is a good thing.
“There’s some experience at rush,” Davie said, “but somebody has to emerge at rush. We’re kind of like that as a team. We actually have some numbers, and now there’s competition and (it’s about) who emerges.
“It’s gonna be hard to keep (Daniels) off the field.”
THE AHO STREAK: For seven consecutive years, from 2008-14, a member of the Aho family from Roswell was on the UNM roster.
James Aho, a kicker, was a Lobo from 2008-12. Andrew Aho, a tight end, played from 2010-13. George, a walk-on linebacker, was on the roster from 2012-14.
George Aho, however, did not return this season. So, the chain is broken.
Well ... maybe not. Andrew Aho is working this year as a defensive graduate assistant.
TALKIN’ ABOUT PRACTICE: The Lobos did considerable tackling Sunday in one-onone, seven-on-seven and 11-on11 drills.
That trend, Davie said, will continue.
“We finally have the numbers built up where we can do the things I’ve always done (elsewhere) as far as tackling in different drills, live,” he said.
“We’ll tackle every day we’re in full pads, to some degree. It’s something we really haven’t been able to do in the past.”
... Junior All-Mountain West Conference linebacker Dakota Cox, who missed the final three games last season with an ACL injury and sat out spring practice while rehabbing, participated in some of Sunday’s live tackling segments.
“We’re gradually working him back in,” Davie said. “He’s full speed. He’s shown no ill effects at all.
“It’s just good to see him back out here going full speed and being cleared, because he’s certainly worked as hard as any guy I’ve been around.”