Recruiting Notebook: 2024 OL Daniel Cruz
Inside Texas takes a closer look at North Richland Hills (Texas) Richland, On3 three-star Daniel Cruz in this edition of the Notebook.
How he fits at Texas: Daniel Cruz is very quick and explosive off the ball. He plays multiple positions for Richland HS on either side of the line of scrimmage and could probably be effective in college as either a two-gapping nose tackle or an offensive lineman. Cruz is pretty quick in his kick step and certainly on the move in the run game, his ability to get off the ball would be truly valuable for Kyle Flood at center. He doesn’t lack power for battling with defensive linemen and his athleticism is useful in initiating engagements, which matters when you’re a center trying to execute combo blocks with your teammates at guard. Cruz should be a dominant interior lineman in a zone scheme with the quickness to hit lateral targets and the power to move people off the ball when he gets there. – Ian Boyd
Coach Says: Strengths — Good height for interior line. Great hip and knee bend. Good ankle flexion with very good balance in and out of a two or three point stance. Arm length is good for interior line. Excellent hand placement. Locks out quickly with a straight back. On run blocking, is quick and low off the snap and reaches really well. Good straight line speed for size. He will show good feet on pulling and climbs to the next level with ease. Technical blocker who will play through the whistle. Strong against the bull rush. On pass protection, plays with independent hands. Kicks out properly at 45 degree and doesn’t frequently overset. At least a few nice highlights of him covering the inside gap against a change of direction. Even his opponent highlights have flattering film of him.
Areas for Improvement / Concerns — Will need a little more size to play inside in Flood’s scheme. Doesn’t consistently line up the moving target at the second level. Sometimes inconsistent on transferring lower body power. Could be an emergency tackle, but speed rush at next level might be a challenge.
How this affects Texas: Kyle Flood identifies his center take every cycle and Cruz passes the smell test. The 6-foot-3, 275-pounder is small for Flood’s usual template, but his ability is uncanny and a natural fit. Texas has gone big on the offensive line after the last two cycles, but this class feels like four is the number. Cruz fits that center spot, and despite offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Florida, LSU, and Penn State, Texas leads this recruitment by a large margin. – Justin Wells
Cruz is the No. 426 overall prospect and No. 26 interior offensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Comparison, a weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 70 player in Texas.
On3 rates Cruz higher than other recruiting services, according to the Industry Comparison. Per the 2024 On300, he is the No. 152 overall prospect, No. 5 interior offensive lineman and No. 34 player in Texas.
The post Recruiting Notebook: 2024 OL Daniel Cruz appeared first on On3.
