When the Bishop Gorman shot squad needed assistance astatine the wide receiver position, the Gaels looked to their loaded antiaircraft backs country for assistance.
UNLV perpetrate Azavier McDaniel starts connected Gorman’s stellar secondary with aggregate Division I commits and assemblage prospects. But successful the past fewer weeks, the three-star assemblage enlistee has seen much snaps connected the violative broadside of the ball.
McDaniel made the determination to wide receiver successful Gorman’s past 2 games and volition play some discourtesy and defence erstwhile the Gaels, ranked No. 8 nationally by MaxPreps, play astatine No. 13 Mater Dei (California) astatine 7 p.m. Friday astatine Santa Ana Stadium.
“It was decidedly a creaseless transition, I would say, due to the fact that the coaches springiness you a batch of confidence,” McDaniel said. “They cognize I’m newer to it, but they’re encouraging and telling maine what I request to bash and my teammates arsenic well, they’re retired determination helping maine connected the field.”
McDaniel, listed astatine 5-foot-10-inches and 180 pounds, made his debut astatine wide receiver successful Gorman’s loss to Christopher Columbus (Florida) connected Aug. 29. But against Lone Peak (Utah) connected Sept. 4, McDaniel showcased his skills with a 33-yard touchdown catch.
“He’s a dynamic player,” Gorman manager Brent Browner said. “He tin commencement some ways, and he’s going to play a small spot of some (against Mater Dei).
“Instead of having to tally retired determination and archer him what to do, he’s practiced (at wide receiver) the past mates of weeks, truthful that helps him a batch dialing him successful and getting immoderate cohesiveness with the quarterback.”
‘Speed is beauteous scary’
McDaniel started this twelvemonth astatine antiaircraft backmost alongside Oregon perpetrate Hayden Stepp, Cal perpetrate Kamil Loud and four-star sophomore Brayley Manning. McDaniel returned an interception for a touchdown successful Gorman’s 41-0 season-opening triumph against Losee.
But aft Gavin Honore transferred backmost to Mater Dei and portion four-star Zyren Menor was unavailable against Columbus and Lone Peak, McDaniel was called to play wide receiver. Gorman backmost Ace Amina said McDaniel picked up the violative playbook quickly.
“He could bash astir each presumption connected the field,” Amina said. “The bully happening is if we enactment him somewhere, helium gives it 100 percent successful everything helium does. He’s 1 of the fastest guys connected the team. … his velocity is beauteous scary, truthful that’s a bully happening for us.”
Track authorities champion
Last twelvemonth arsenic a junior, McDaniel appeared successful 7 games for Gorman and recorded 18 tackles. McDaniel has played antiaircraft backmost astatine Gorman but played wide receiver successful younker shot and offseason 7-on-7 events.
McDaniel made a splash this outpouring erstwhile helium won idiosyncratic 5A way and tract authorities championships successful the 100-meter dash (11.11 seconds) and agelong leap (23-3), and was a Nevada Preps first-team All-Southern Nevada selection.
McDaniel said way has helped his 40-yard clip driblet by astir two-tenths of a second.
“Track helped maine a lot, particularly with my explosiveness and learning however to tally too,” McDaniel said. “I didn’t cognize however to person a bully tally form, but present I cognize however to tally and it helps with alteration of absorption and tempo and worldly similar that.”
As does McDaniel’s cognition arsenic a antiaircraft backmost to prime up what benignant of defence he’s facing erstwhile helium lines up astatine receiver.
“I tin spot and work tendencies (of a antiaircraft back) a small spot easier,” McDaniel said. “If the country is looking astatine me, he’s astir apt going to play man-to-man and if he’s looking astatine the quarterback, they’re astir apt successful immoderate benignant of zone.
“Things similar that are things you tin prime up connected beauteous casual arsenic a antiaircraft backmost and it makes watching movie a batch easier due to the fact that you tin decipher what radical are trying to do.”
Staying home
McDaniel committed to UNLV successful June, choosing the Rebels implicit different notable schools specified arsenic Oregon State, Utah State, New Mexico and Hawaii. McDaniel attended respective camps astatine UNLV that featured galore section shot players and stood out, which helped him make a narration with manager Dan Mullen and staff.
“UNLV was 1 of my earlier offers, but being from Vegas, it made it a batch easier,” McDaniel said. “I’ve been up determination a mates of times to campy and I already had a narration earlier the connection with the coaches, truthful it made everything truly smooth.”
Contact Alex Wright astatine awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 connected X.
Up next
Who: No. 8 Bishop Gorman (3-1) astatine No. 13 Mater Dei (California) (4-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Santa Ana Stadium, Santa Ana, California
Stream: NFHS Network
All-time series: Mater Dei 5-0
English (US)·