A two-year starter, Daniels teamed with Corey Webster to give the Tigers the premier cornerback tandem in the Southeastern Conference. Hamstring problems prevented Daniels from getting much playing time earlier in his career, but he made up for it the past two seasons, with solid play against some of the nation's top receivers.
Daniels was a standout defensive back at South Broward (Hollywood, Fla.) High, where he was named first-team Class 4A all-state as a senior after registering 60 tackles and five interceptions. He was a two-way competitor who caught 34 passes for 500 yards and four touchdowns. Daniels also returned a kickoff and interception for scores in his final season. A member of the all-district and all-county teams, he was a participant in the North-South Florida All-Star game.
Daniels was scheduled to redshirt in 2001, but injuries late in the season forced the coaching staff to activate him for the SEC championship game, thus losing a year of eligibility. Hamstring problems limited Daniels to five games in 2002, and he managed only three solo tackles for the season while playing in sub-nickel packages.
He took over right cornerback duties as a junior and proceeded to register a career-high 58 tackles (43 solo) with two sacks, 6½ stops for losses and three quarterback pressures. With Webster shutting down the opposition on the left side of the field, opponents soon found the same held true on the right side as Daniels totaled 26 pass deflections and two interceptions in 2003. With Webster hampered by hamstring problems in 2004, Daniels had to take on more of a leadership role in the young secondary. He recorded 48 tackles (28 solo) with nine pass break-ups in his final campaign.
Daniels started in 26 of his 31 LSU appearances, recording 110 tackles (75 solo), two sacks for minus-22 yards, 8½ stops for losses of 41 yards and five quarterback pressures. He recovered a fumble, intercepted two passes for 49 yards in returns, batted away 37 passes and blocked a punt.
ANALYSIS
Positives: Instinctive player who moved from safety to cornerback … Has a tall, wiry frame with room for additional growth … Intelligent athlete who is rarely caught out of position and knows how to use the sidelines to his advantage … Shows a quick forward charge and times his leaps well to attack the ball in the air … Has a sharp straight-line burst and will not be fooled by play action or double pumps … Solid open-field tackler who will position, grab and drag down his man to make the play … Flashes natural ability to mirror the receiver in man coverage, but does need technique refinement … Has the range and intelligence to sort out the action and read routes properly when operating in zone coverage … Effective blitzer coming off the edge and also manages to penetrate the inside gaps to disrupt plays in the backfield … Has small, soft hands and looks natural catching the ball … Has adequate strength for his position and the leaping ability to win jump balls … His long arms help him shut down receivers on fade routes, doing a nice job of trying to press.
Negatives: Must add needed bulk to his frame … Has an underdeveloped body with no meat on his thighs, legs and calves … Has experience at all secondary positions, but may be better suited for free safety due to a lack of acceptable speed to play effectively in man coverage … He does a good job attacking the ball downfield, but is sometimes late to react when playing in off coverage … His range is suspect, as he does not appear to have good recovery speed … Better in zone coverage, where he can utilize his intelligence, as he seems to lack patience in man coverage and has questionable deep speed … For some reason, Tigers defensive backs have poor backpedaling ability … His tight hips and marginal footwork are evident as he appears late to react coming out of his backpedal and this prevents him from turning and running with his receiver on deep routes … Could be more effective in press coverage if he would improve his hand placement (fails to disrupt with a good push or jolt).
INJURY REPORT
2002 -- Limited to five games due to a season-long hamstring problem.
2003 -- Missed three days of practice after the Louisiana Tech game (Nov. 1) because of a left groin strain.
AGILITY
4.59 in the 40-yard dash … 275-pound bench press … 242-pound power clean … 34½-inch vertical jump … 9-foot-3 broad jump … 31¼-inch arm length … 8 7/8-inch hands … Right-handed.
HIGH SCHOOL
Attended South Broward (Hollywood, Fla.) High, playing football for coach Antonio Williams … Named first-team Class 4A all-state as a defensive back after registering 60 tackles and five interceptions as a senior … On offense, he caught 34 passes for 500 yards and four touchdowns that year and also returned a kickoff and an interception for scores … Also a member of the all-district and all-county teams as well as being a participant in the North-South Florida All-Star game.
PERSONAL
Mass Communications major … Son of Spring Grant … Born Travis Antwon Daniels on Sept. 8, 1982 in Hollywood, Fla.
