CORAL GABLES — One of the newest Miami Hurricanes wide receivers, transfer CJ Daniels, has found different ways to help his new team.
Although Daniels, a transfer from LSU, has missed much of spring practice due to an undisclosed injury, he has been working to build chemistry and instill a strong work ethic in his fellow receivers.
“He’s the oldest guy in the room, and you need that — that older guy, the big brother,” wide receivers coach Kevin Beard said. “And (the other wide receivers) lean on him, from that perspective.”
After arriving on campus in January, Daniels quickly established himself as a leader among the receivers. The former LSU and Liberty standout asked Beard to start a group chat just for the receivers — no coaches allowed.
“They’re on it all the time,” Beard said. “So they’ll text, ‘Hey, we’re going to watch film at 5 o’clock,’ and you’ll notice a lot of guys in the building around that time because we’ve got to take this thing to the next level.”
Now the group of wide receivers meets frequently without Beard or other coaches needing to get involved.
“He’s a true leader,” rising sophomore Ny Carr said. “He came in the first day, he knew he was going to be out. So the first day, he met with every receiver. Every day, we meet with him. … We meet with him first, then we meet with (Beard). He’s to the point where he wants the whole room to be on the same level because he’s the older guy and we’re all young, so he wants us to be leaders, too. … He’s a natural-born leader.”
But Daniels is not just an asset for the things he does off the field. He is expected to contribute on the field, as well. Miami recruited Daniels when he entered the portal before the 2024 season. Daniels, who was coming off a 1,000-yard season at Liberty, ultimately chose LSU over the Hurricanes.
But Daniels entered the portal again after making 42 catches for 480 yards with the Tigers, and this time, the Hurricanes got their man.
“We think he’s a dynamic guy,” coach Mario Cristobal said in January. “Big, strong, fast, and his contested catch rate is really, really impressive. And he does all the dirty work, too. He’s going to go in there and put his hat on the safety, block a linebacker, because he’s big and strong and experienced.”
Daniels has been limited in practice due to an injury, but the younger receivers who look up to him expect him to play a large role.
“I’ve seen some highlights of him,” rising sophomore JoJo Trader said. “You’ve got to check him out. I feel like he’s going to do good things. That’s who’s going to really make the receiver group work. He’s the older guy. We all look up to him.”
One of the things that impressed Beard is the veteran’s work ethic, even as he dealt with the injury.
“You don’t have to tell him to catch balls from the jugs machine,” Beard said. “He’s the one initiating it. And he’s kind of been through it, and he knows he has a lot of young guys behind him, so he’s trying to show them the way. … When I was here, that was the process. The freshmen come in and the older guys show them the way, and then when the older guys leave, you take it over.”
