Scouting Report: Dorian O'Daniel

Olney (MD) Good Counsel RB/LB Dorian O'Daniel

Name: Dorian O'Daniel
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205 lbs.
Class: 2013
Position: Linebacker
School: Olney (MD) Good Counsel

Notes: Holds offers from Auburn, Cal, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina State, Ohio, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin . . . In 2011 he had 40 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks; also rushed 125 times for 901 yards and 17 touchdowns . . . Claims a 4.55 forty yard dash . . . Rivals 4-star, #37 overall . . . Scout 4-star . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 94 grade, #13 OLB, #102 overall . . . Teammate of 2013 target Kendall Fuller; 2012 targets Wes Brown (Maryland) and Stefon Diggs (Maryland); and current Michigan cornerback Blake Countess

Strengths: Excellent athlete . . . Good straight line speed . . . Fast enough to chase down plays from behind . . . Low center of gravity helps him bounce off tacklers . . . Can pack a punch when he squares up the ball carrier . . . Potentially devastating blitzer with his ability to attack and change direction

Weaknesses: A little clunky when running the ball . . . Doesn't have great hips or footwork . . . Rarely uses his hands to shed blockers . . . Avoids too many blocks rather than attacking blockers . . . Does not consistently bring his feet with him when tackling . . . Gets a little loose with his tackling fundamentals . . . Could get better at diagnosing plays . . . Attacks the line of scrimmage a little tentatively at times

Projection: Weakside linebacker or strong safety.  He could also move to middle linebacker if he bulks up.  On athleticism alone, O'Daniel looks like a 4-star prospect.  But he doesn't show the instincts or the fundamental base to rise much higher than that, in my opinion.  He could certainly improve at shedding blocks, but if that improvement doesn't occur, he might be a candidate to move to the strong safety position.  He has good speed and can make plays when a blocker isn't accounting for him.  I also think that I should mention a concern about his highlight video: when O'Daniel makes a good play, his teammates tend to ignore him or turn and jog for the sideline.  I did not see those same teammate reactions when Stefon Diggs and Wes Brown made good plays, so I guess that leaves me with a question of how well he gets along with his teammates and how much they respect him.

Reminds me of: Frankie Telfort