Daniel Campbell, the 6-foot-4.5, 326-pound offensive lineman from Aldine High School in Houston, is looking to spread his wings. With offers from major programs coast-to-coast, including his home-state Longhorns, the massive road grader says he's looking west toward the USC Trojans.
"USC is my solid favorite right now," said Campbell, who reports a 5.4 forty and benches 320 pounds, squats 510 and power cleans 305. "They're associated with winning and I love their offensive style. I got the offer about three weeks ago. I called Coach (Pete) Carroll and he told me they wanted me to come out and play offensive tackle for them. I got the feeling that I might be able to come in and play early, which I liked to hear.
"I've text-messaged and talked to Coach Ken Norton the most, he said. "I really like his vision. My specialty is pass blocking, so I know I'd fit in perfect in the USC offense. I also really like (John David) Booty. He is a great quarterback.
"We talked about me going out there this summer. I'm looking forward to getting out there for sure. I really want to see the campus and the facilities and just get a feel for the place. I'm going to take an official there too."
Campbell, whose mom refers to as "Big Boy", also has offers from Kansas, Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Texas Tech, Houston, Florida, BYU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Mississippi, Arizona, Minnesota, Georgia, Missouri, Purdue and Illinois. He said the Trojans lead the LSU Tigers, followed by the Gators, Sooners and Longhorns.
With no commitment timetable, Campbell said he'll take things slowly. "My mind is set on going out-of-town, out-of-state," admitted Campbell. "I can always come back to Texas after college. I just want to go far enough where I have to be self-dependent and I won't do that here."
"I really like LSU," he said. "They are my number two. They offered about a month ago when I went to their junior day. I like the campus. They have really good academics too. I've talked to Coach (Greg) Studrawa a lot. And I've talked to the headman (Les Miles) a couple of times.
"I loved the atmosphere at LSU," he added. "The energy there is amazing. All the people are just so nice. And the fans are crazy. They love LSU football so much. I'd love to be a part of that.
"Florida is definitely number three for me," said Campbell, "They were my first offer - my sophomore year. When they won the championship, it made it even sweeter. We'll see what happens this year. I'm going to take an official there for sure, hopefully this summer.
"I've gotten a lot of text messages from them and talked to them a few times. I really want to play for a winning program and you can't get any better than the national champs.
Campbell said he also likes Oklahoma. "They are before Texas, probably number four. They offered me about a month ago. I've talked to them a few times and I went to their spring game.
"The Oklahoma line is just amazing. They have one of the best offenses in the country and after the spring game, I just thought how cool it would be to be a part of that.
"Texas is my number five," he said. "I'm not saying there is no way possible I would go to Texas. Anything is possible. We'll just have to see how things unfold. When it's time to pick, it'll just depend on what program is the best fit for me."
Campbell points to his footwork as something he's working on. "My quickness and stability, I need to get better at. Being quicker on my feet. I know I have a lot to bring to any team. I'm strong at both pass blocking and run blocking. Plus, I have a great personality!"
Campbell reports a 2.8 core GPA and a 1050 SAT. He's undecided if he'll retake.