A coach's perspective on Ole Miss commit

Daniel Calvin (DT, Bakersville CC, CA) - Coach Dave Thorp has seen some good players come through his ranks during his 15 years of coaching, but he has not seen anything quite like Daniel Calvin.

"Daniel Calvin is probably the most athletic lineman I have seen come through here. The kid has so much raw ability. It is pretty scary. You are talking about a guy who is close to 6' 5", 310, and runs a sub 5.0. Shoot, he can outrun a lot of our linebackers, and those LB's are now slow. All three of them will sign with D1 schools," added assistant coach Dave Thorp, who coaches the line at Bakersville CC.

Coach Thorp continues to praise his lineman.

"He needs to lose some weight, but he is a player. He is as good of a player as I have seen on this level. Corey Actis was good. He could move, but Daniel is a different type of player. Corey was physical and Daniel is a finesse player. Daniel just has so much more upside. He is a great kid too. He is a pup, but he is going to be a good one. Daniel will do well at Ole Miss on the next level."

Bakersville finished #3 in the country last season and lost in the State Semifinals in overtime.

"That was a tough lesson for our kids and coaches. To come so close and then lose it in overtime. It was hard to swallow, but we are expecting great things from our club this year. We are building our defense around Daniel. He will be the center piece for our club."

In high school, when Calvin prepped at Bakersville (CA) High, he was named the 2005 All-Area Defensive Player of the Year.

"Daniel played on the sectional championship team. He was a two year All-League guy. He also made All-Western State for us last year. Daniel is a guy who could have played anywhere in the country. The boy just did not take care of his grades in high school. We are staying on top of his grades over here. I do not think you will see that be a problem when he leaves here. He has his mind set on getting out in December, and so far, so good."

In short, what can Ole Miss expect out of Daniel?

"He has speed and athletic ability. The kid is a sideline to sideline player. You can not teach speed. He is a sub 5.0 guy. He just has great footwork. I think he will be an immediate impact player for Ole Miss."

What will he need to work on?

"I think Daniel can get stronger in the weight room, but a good weight program will get him to where he needs to be. Don't get me wrong, the kid is strong. He was maxing out at 375/485 the other day, but he knows to play in the SEC he will need to get stronger. He just needs to work on his conditioning and strength. That is about it. Everything else is in place."