Michael Vick Gives Shoutout, Includes WVU DL on Featured Players List

Receiving praise from a legendary figure like Michael Vick likely never gets old for Zyir Daniel. And the former college football phenom and NFL All-Pro quarterback publicly recognized the defensive lineman again on Sunday.

Vick mentioned Daniel as a response to being tagged in a post with pictures from WVU football spring practice, saying “LOOKING good. Again, congrats on being named to our first “featured player” list” on X (Twitter).

Vick is referring to including Daniel as one of the featured athletes on his website. MikeVick7.us is a site that presents itself as a recruiting service, offering tips and “do’s and don’ts” for recruits.

@ZyirDaniel LOOKING good👀👀💪💪👊👊@WVUfootball @FOXSports
Again congrats on being named to our first “featured player” listhttps://t.co/BYCSurmfbB

Keep grinding! https://t.co/nW91gbLAzi

— Michael Vick (@MichaelVick) April 14, 2024

For anyone wondering why Vick is taking a liking to Daniel, his inclusion is not completely random. Just three months ago, Daniel woke seeing a public congratulations about his commitment from Vick. “Congrats to Zyir Daniel on his commitment to WVU. This DL has a bright future and should crush it in Morgantown. Show up and show out young man!,” said Vick. He also added a message to WVU fans, telling them to follow Daniel and show him some love

Daniel, who was surprised to see this show of support from a football icon for players his age, actually brought this to WV Sports Now’s attention.

WV Sports Now previously revealed the background information behind Vick and Daniel’s relationship to our “Holler” members.

In the Holler: Learn Why Michael Vick Showed Love to WVU Football Commit

For a refresher or a tease for those who missed it, Daniel said that one of his mentors Roc Carmichael played at Virginia Tech and knows the Hokies legend. While he said the post was still unexpected, that clears up some of the randomness about Vick giving a shoutout to a player committed as a PWO.

More about their relationship can be found by subscribing to WVSN’s ad free “Holler” experience.

After a year-long journey that included recovering from an injury and trying to get noticed, defensive line prospect Daniel decided to commit to the WVU football program on Jan. 2.

While he is only committing as a PWO (preferred walk-on), Daniel told WV Sports Now at the time that he is willing to fully bet on himself and buy into West Virginia’s climb.

Daniel (6-foot-1, 250 pounds) is a class of 2024 product out of St. Thomas More in Connecticut. He’s considered a defensive end by most major recruiting outlets.

Daniel continuously reached out to WV Sports Now throughout his entire recruitment, informing us of his visits and providing details about conversations he’s had with coaches.

“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!,” Daniel once told WVSN about his experience at the WVU football facility.

“I spoke with Coach (Andrew) Jackson and Coach (ShaDon) 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,” said Daniel about what he learned about the West Virginia program from coaches.

When WVSN asked Daniel for his own honest evaluation of his game to this point, his description of what type of player he is sounds a lot like what teams want in edge rushers. It also comes with an understanding that 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.

In addition to staying in contact with WVU, Daniel spent time visiting and getting to know coached at Boston College, Buffalo, Maryland, Penn State, Pitt, Syracuse and Virginia Tech to varying degrees.

Daniel knows nothing is guaranteed as a PWO commit, but he may also benefit from a constant need of depth within the defense line.