Hard Work in the Classroom Ultimately Led Ibn McDaniels to Syracuse
Class of 2024 Elizabeth (NJ) High cornerback Ibn McDaniels committed to Syracuse football recently, but it was not the normal path that many take to earning a power five opportunity. The Orange was his only offer. Before news of his visit to SU became public, he did not have profiles on the websites for the major recruiting services. He was about as far off the radar as one could get from a recruiting standpoint. Especially for a 6-3 athlete who runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.
New Jersey is a state that always has an abundance of division one talent. Therefore, it is not often that a player goes under the radar. That was the case for McDaniels, however, despite those measurables and watching how talented he appears on film. Part of that was due to only playing in 15 games and breaking his collarbone as a junior. The other part, McDaniels says, was related to academics.
"If my grades had been up to date as a freshman, and had been good, I probably would have had a lot more schools reaching out to me," McDaniels said.
After academic struggles early in his high school career, McDaniels worked extremely hard to rectify that situation and be on the path to being an NCAA qualifier.
"A lot of work," McDaniels said. "Like two years of work (in one year), really. Taking a lot of classes after school. I did summer school once. Really spending a lot of hours after school. Even after the school day was done, I was still going to work. Probably til 9:00 p.m. I was barely able to practice football because I was putting in all the work into academics so I could be a qualifier."
Now he has put himself into position to be a qualifier with a strong finish to his senior year. That academic standing led Syracuse to extend a scholarship offer, set up a visit and earn his commitment.
"I committed because of the coaching staff that was there," McDaniels said. "The culture there is extremely good. The defensive staff really made me comfortable and I feel like I would really develop a lot at Syracuse."
McDaniels went into the visit with committing in the back of his mind. That trip clinched it, but not because of anything crazy or flashy. Simply speaking with head coach Fran Brown sealed the deal in his mind as he believed in the culture and program being built.
"All of the coaches were honest with me," McDaniels said. "They were straightforward. Don't beat around the bush. Extremely genuine. They plan on making me a young successful man. They were talking about getting my degree in three years. Also with me trying to find my way onto the football field, I have to work for it. I feel I have to compete with everybody."
McDaniels will begin his career at boundary corner for Syracuse.
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