2022 Homestead (FL) 4-star DT Daniel Lyons was out at the Under Armour Miami Camp this past weekend and spoke on how he performed overall at the event.
“It was straight. Camps are different – when you put on them pads, you can do whatever you want. It’s ‘grown man’ ball then,” Lyons said. “These camps you can hardly do what you want. As a D-Lineman, we like to put our hands on people, bull rush. There’s a lot more rules (here).”
Of course, Lyons has long been a recruiting target of the local Miami Hurricanes, having held a UM offer for nearly two years at this point. Now that 2022 is officially the main cycle, Lyons says the Canes’ staff has ramped things up even more.
“They’re coming at me hard - coach (Jess) Simpson, coach (Pop) Cooney, coach (Manny) Diaz,” Lyons said. “They’re ready for me to come and stay home. I’ve been thinking about [committing], but just give me time - I’m not trying to make a decision until my senior year.”
According to the Homestead star, the Hurricanes are a key contender in Lyons’ recruitment because of the hometown nature of the program, as well as UM’s defensive system.
“I like everything (about Miami). That’s the crib, I get to put on for my city,” Lyons said. “I used to go to the games all the time. Their defense is nice. Their D-Line is dominant, fast, everything. It’s a great school.”
The 6’4” 270-pound prospect has also been a frequent visitor to Miami’s campus over the years, stopping in for summer camps, Paradise Camp, and Junior Days multiple times.
“I’ve just been there a lot of times. The campus is a vibe, there’s plenty of people I grew up with that are there,” Lyons said.
One person that Lyons knows well and is about to step on Miami’s campus is 2021 Miami Palmetto DT Leonard Taylor, who signed with the Canes in December and is set to enroll at UM this summer.
“That’s my dog. He talks to me about Miami, we just worked out recently,” Lyons said of Taylor. “He’s looking dominant.”
In terms of the rest of his recruitment, Lyons has plenty of options all around the country, and he’s slowly working through which programs might suit him the best.
“The Gators, FSU, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Ole Miss – a lot of schools are coming at me,” Lyons said. “I’ll do a top group during the season, wait a little bit and see who’s still messing with me.”
Of UF, Lyons mentioned that his main contact is DL coach David Turner, and the two have built a strong relationship.
“I talk to him all the time,” Lyons said of Turner. “He’s a good man.”
What does Lyons think he’ll be looking for in a school when he is ready to decide?
“When I’m going to be able to play, the culture, the relationship with the coach, if we have a great bond – everything really, everything about the school,” he said.
As a junior in 2020, Lyons recorded 34 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sack, and 2 FF in 6 games, but said he wasn’t satisfied with his play and that he is looking to take his game to another level as a senior.
“I’m going to come back harder. I feel like last year wasn’t really it. I dominated, but I could’ve done more. It was a short offseason so I didn’t get to my full potential. I’m trying to dominate (senior year), get bigger, stronger, faster.”
“It was straight. Camps are different – when you put on them pads, you can do whatever you want. It’s ‘grown man’ ball then,” Lyons said. “These camps you can hardly do what you want. As a D-Lineman, we like to put our hands on people, bull rush. There’s a lot more rules (here).”
Of course, Lyons has long been a recruiting target of the local Miami Hurricanes, having held a UM offer for nearly two years at this point. Now that 2022 is officially the main cycle, Lyons says the Canes’ staff has ramped things up even more.
“They’re coming at me hard - coach (Jess) Simpson, coach (Pop) Cooney, coach (Manny) Diaz,” Lyons said. “They’re ready for me to come and stay home. I’ve been thinking about [committing], but just give me time - I’m not trying to make a decision until my senior year.”
According to the Homestead star, the Hurricanes are a key contender in Lyons’ recruitment because of the hometown nature of the program, as well as UM’s defensive system.
“I like everything (about Miami). That’s the crib, I get to put on for my city,” Lyons said. “I used to go to the games all the time. Their defense is nice. Their D-Line is dominant, fast, everything. It’s a great school.”
The 6’4” 270-pound prospect has also been a frequent visitor to Miami’s campus over the years, stopping in for summer camps, Paradise Camp, and Junior Days multiple times.
“I’ve just been there a lot of times. The campus is a vibe, there’s plenty of people I grew up with that are there,” Lyons said.
One person that Lyons knows well and is about to step on Miami’s campus is 2021 Miami Palmetto DT Leonard Taylor, who signed with the Canes in December and is set to enroll at UM this summer.
“That’s my dog. He talks to me about Miami, we just worked out recently,” Lyons said of Taylor. “He’s looking dominant.”
In terms of the rest of his recruitment, Lyons has plenty of options all around the country, and he’s slowly working through which programs might suit him the best.
“The Gators, FSU, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Ole Miss – a lot of schools are coming at me,” Lyons said. “I’ll do a top group during the season, wait a little bit and see who’s still messing with me.”
Of UF, Lyons mentioned that his main contact is DL coach David Turner, and the two have built a strong relationship.
“I talk to him all the time,” Lyons said of Turner. “He’s a good man.”
What does Lyons think he’ll be looking for in a school when he is ready to decide?
“When I’m going to be able to play, the culture, the relationship with the coach, if we have a great bond – everything really, everything about the school,” he said.
As a junior in 2020, Lyons recorded 34 tackles, 10 TFL, 5 sack, and 2 FF in 6 games, but said he wasn’t satisfied with his play and that he is looking to take his game to another level as a senior.
“I’m going to come back harder. I feel like last year wasn’t really it. I dominated, but I could’ve done more. It was a short offseason so I didn’t get to my full potential. I’m trying to dominate (senior year), get bigger, stronger, faster.”
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