4-Star DT Darrion Daniels Can Take the Big 12 by Storm in 2015

If you ever want to make Darrion Daniels smile, whisper two words to him.

"You can't."

No better two words will make Daniels grin with sarcasm. Consider the words as instant motivation. To Daniels, there's a special satisfaction when he proves his critics wrong.

So when Daniels shocked the recruiting world by verbally committing to Oklahoma State during an announcement on CBS Sports Network, consider that his way of silently addressing the critics. Daniels chose the Cowboys over offers from Oklahoma, Iowa and Texas Tech—the school his father, Tony Daniels, attended and excelled as a defensive end in the 1990s.

He's heard that he can't win at Oklahoma State. Challenge accepted.

"As I was making up my mind, people would say, 'Go to Oklahoma; they'd take you to the league' or, 'Go to Iowa; they'll take you to the league,'" Daniels said. "Or they'd say, 'Go to [Texas] Tech; your father went there.'

"No one's ever told me, 'Go to Oklahoma State.' I want to go to Oklahoma State and break that status quo."

His younger brother, 2017 lineman Damion Daniels, provided the news via social media. Big brother is on a senior retreat with his school:

Darrion Daniels became Oklahoma State's 18th overall commit. He also became the team's highest-rated commit, according to the 247Sports composite ratings. The 6'4", 290-pound lineman is listed nationally as the 20th-ranked defensive tackle.

Daniels, who said any of his four finalists would have been a great choice, was recruited to Oklahoma State by safeties coach Tim Duffie and defensive line coach Joe Bob Clements. Duffie and Tony Daniels were teammates at Texas Tech.

Which brings up the question: Why not follow dad's footsteps? Daniels said he talked with his father about the process, and in short, the decision was all his.

"He told me not to tell him; he wanted it to be a surprise," Daniels said. "He told me to keep it to myself. He wanted me to make the decision for myself."

Daniels established himself as a run-stopper at Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas. He loves to shoot the gap and disrupt run plays, and when healthy, he plays with a high motor. Daniels had to deal with minor injuries throughout the 2014 season and still muscled his way through his competition, keeping himself a player to watch as he helped his team win a state championship.

Daniels weighed all options with the help of the official visits. He first visited Oklahoma the weekend of Oct. 17, then visited Texas Tech the weekend of Oct. 31. Oklahoma State hosted Daniels the weekend of Nov. 14. Iowa had Daniels' fourth and final visit last weekend. He chose not to do a fifth visit.

"First off, all four school had so many similarities," Daniels said. "The one thing that was important to me that they all had was that I could get early playing time. The thing that kept getting to me was remembering how I always had to prove myself against the best. I always heard I wasn't good enough.

"I feel like I can really prove myself at Oklahoma State. When people say you're going to lose, I want to prove to them that I can win. I know it's going to be a fight when I get there. It's a fight I'm not afraid of losing, but I know I hate being second.

"I want to make Oklahoma State D-Line U. I want to be the guy to start the trend."

The confidence of Daniels is something that attracted the Oklahoma State coaching staff. Daniels finished his senior year with a state title, despite his team being an underdog to win it all in its classification for most of the 2014 season.

Additionally, Daniels is going to graduate at 17—he turned 17 last month—and he currently has a 3.15 grade-point average.

Daniels' mission upon arrival in Stillwater: Play to win, improve as a player and make Oklahoma State a household name nationally.

"As a player, I work hard, and I believe that me working hard motivates my team to work hard," Daniels said. "I believe I have a light, but it doesn't shine on me. I want to shine on my teammates. I give 110 percent in everything I do."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon on Twitter: @DamonSayles