2024 DL Prospect Zyir Daniel Taking Advice from WVU Coaches to Heart

When Zyir Daniel, a defensive line prospect out of the Maryland area who recently attended West Virginia’s Junior Day, reached out to WVSN to tell his story, it wasn’t immediately clear where the conversation would go. It soon became evident that this was a hungry young man looking to get his game to a point that he could really start having success.

Right off the bat, Daniel, who is only in his third year of playing football, let us know he will be attending St. Thomas More in Connecticut as a post-grad student, a college prep school, in an attempt to further improve himself as a player and as a man. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 248 pounds, Daniel has some of the tools to play college football but also realizes he has plenty of room to grow.

Daniel then detailed his trip to Morgantown and what he can now take with him as new insight and knowledge.

“I learned a lot. They had us meet the strength and conditioning coach and showed us all the new technology they use to improve performance, which blew my mind. Also, I met with the nutritionist. The cool part is how they have cooking classes, which I will need down the line. I love the fact that the program’s GPA is over 3.0 with 100 percent graduation class for 5 years straight!,” said Daniel.

He seems to be acting like a sponge, soaking up any and all information, especially when it comes from the staff and personnel of a major program like WVU.

He also got the full experience, getting to speak with the coaches, including co- defensive coordinator ShaDon Brown and defensive line coach Andrew Jackson.

“I spoke with Coach Jackson and Coach Brown for a long time. Coach Jackson educated me a lot about the football program. Coach Brown spoke a lot about the 5th quarter program, which really excites me. I see how they put you in a position to succeed right after football,” he mentioned about what he heard from Brown and Jackson. You could just tell Daniel would relish a chance to become a Mountaineer and be able to take advantage of everything WVU could offer him in the future.

Stay low and keep firing! pic.twitter.com/9ZjVJvnNF4

— Zyir Daniel (@ZyirDaniel) February 3, 2023

Daniel was asked to give his own honest evaluation of his game to this point, understanding it’s only been a couple years in the making. His description of what type of player he is offers a lot of what teams want in edge rushers, but comes with an understanding he can still improve and the right coaches could help him reach another level. “I am very explosive with great footwork. I have good hands and have an arsenal of moves. I am a hard worker, coachable and eager to learn and improve every day,” said Daniel.

Do more; say less!

Coach: @CoachDan_Y pic.twitter.com/Y1dqhXfgOG

— Zyir Daniel (@ZyirDaniel) March 7, 2023

So what other schools has he met with besides WVU? “I camped successfully at Syracuse last summer and have had conversations with their recruiters since then. I plan on doing several camps this summer and feel my past performances speak for itself. I was recently defensive line MVP at a major camp two weeks ago,” Daniel responded.

While it appears as if Daniel may have the attitude and ability that would serve the West Virginia program well for years to come, he’s keeping all of his options open and hoping to eventually earn more recognition nationally as a prospect.