Elijah Daniel Article

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The third member of Auburn's highly-rated defensive line haul last February, Daniel hasn't always been as visible as teammates Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams, but his contributions have been big.
Playing a specialized role as an interior pass rusher, Daniel leads the team with nine quarterback hurries and has two sacks, including an early takedown of Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs to force the punt that Chris Davis returned 85 yards for a score.

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At 6-foot-2, 264 pounds in early August, Daniel had enough size to handle the inside, and his pass-rush skills convinced the Tigers' coaching staff to find a way to get Daniel on the field.

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"He might be as good of a 1-on-1 pass rusher as we have," defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said shortly after Daniel made the move. "He’s got a great first step, good power. Can use him inside or outside."

With Dee Ford, LaDarius Owens and Carl Lawson providing pressure outside, Auburn has mostly used Daniel inside, with impressive results.

Used almost exclusively on passing downs, Daniel has seven tackles, but the big freshman also has two sacks and a team-high nine quarterback hurries, one ahead of Ford.

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