Daniel Rhodes
Defensive Tackle
6′-3″, 280 lbs.
True Freshman (on scholarship, 5 years to play 4)
Independence HS / Charlotte, North Carolina

ALE Ranking last year: NR

What I Know About Him:

“Oh yeah, Daniel Rhodes.”  That was my reaction when I heard that Rhodes was part of the 2012 class.  A year earlier, as we were running out of scholarships, lots of players in the 2011 class entered the grayshirt gray area.  WR Isaiah Stallings, who ended up at Florida Atlantic.  WR Marquise Mosley, who ended up at Stephen F. Austin.  OL Hunter Wells, who ended up at Miami (FL). Chase Haslett and Hayden Daniels, who both ended up on scholarship here.  And TE Daniel Rhodes from North Carolina, who ended up enrolling in January and joining the 2012 recruiting class as one of two early enrollees (TaJarvis Fuller being the other).

As an early enrollee, Rhodes got to participate in spring practice, where this high school tight end played at… defensive tackle.  He’s a big boy, too, so I would guess that defensive tackle is where he will stay.  But there’s part of me that hopes he’s buried there, gives offense a shot, and becomes the world beater offensive tackle we never knew we had.

What I Expect From Him:

Lots of learning how to play defensive tackle.  That’s why I have him down here at #89.  Usually, I’d put an early enrollee much higher, given that he got a jumpstart on his classmates in the spring.  But Rhodes disappeared as a 240 lb tight end and re-appeared as a 280-ish lb defensive tackle (he’s listed at 250, but if he’s 250, I’m 325. Wait, I did that wrong. I’m supposing that he’s underweighted, so if he’s listed 250 but weighing 280 I should state that “if he’s 250, I’m 220″ or something, which is weird because none of you know how much I weigh besides my mom and she always tells me to eat more salads so I’ll just stop.)

I think the next 12 months for Daniel Rhodes will simply be “learn how to play defensive tackle”.  Maybe 24 or 36 months.  I’m guessing we’ll next hear from him in spring ball of 2014.  And we’ll probably say “oh yeah, Daniel Rhodes”.