While some high school teams can get by without having a true quarterback with a dominant ground game, having a signal caller with legitimate dual-threat capabilities takes any offense to another level.
East Marion had that this season in junior quarterback Devin Daniels, who is this year’s Columbian-Progress Offensive Player of the Year.
Daniels completed 109-of-179 passes (61 percent, highest in Marion County) for 1,770 yards and 18 touchdowns and ran for 650 yards and 13 touchdowns on 107 carries (6.1 yards per carry). Daniels said to be selected as the best offensive player in Marion County feels great considering the wealth of playmakers to choose from.
“This whole year, my junior season, really felt like my senior season. I wanted to carry the team,” he said. “We made it to South State, but I wish we would’ve made it to State. If I could go back to that South State game, I’d do a lot of things different. But to be offensive player of the year in the county, that’s great. We have a lot of great players here like both of the running backs from Columbia.”
While Daniels is capable of making game-changing plays by himself, he said having receivers to throw to like Flenard McLin, Darrin Haines and Jacob Johnson made his job a lot easier.
“Some of the passes I threw to Mac (McLin), I didn’t think anybody could catch them,” he said. “Darrin had that height on the field and could see over most of the DBs, so I just had to put it into the air and he would go catch it. Sunshine (Johnson), if it comes in his area he’s going to catch it either way.”
His legs, though, are what make Daniels a special talent as a complement to his right arm. He excels at escaping pressure and constantly made pass rushers look silly as he reversed field and scampered for long gains. He said his mindset when he escapes the pocket is to make it to the sticks.
“If I see I can get the first down and nobody is open, I feel like I can beat any guy in front of me,” he said.
However, Daniels elevated his game to another level in 2018 when he scrambled. On several occasions he pulled up just before the line of scrimmage and burned the defense with a deep ball for a touchdown once defensive backs committed to him.
“My sophomore season I really didn’t do that. When I scrambled, I was basically just going to run,” he said. “This year (my coaches) were telling to keep my eyes downfield because when I scramble, most DBs are going to come down to you and it’s going to leave a receiver open. We had a (designed) play for that in the Lumberton game (in the playoffs), and Mac was open for the touchdown.”
There is still room for the 5-foot-8, 189-pound gunslinger to grow his game, though, as he enters his fourth season as the starting quarterback for the Eagles in 2019.
“I have to get the ball out faster,” he said. “I have to learn my routes, how to throw (particular) routes and stuff like that.”
Pictured Above: East Marion quarterback Devin Daniels turns the corner against Columbia. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
