Like his teammate Demetrius Knox, 2014 Fort Worth All Saints running back/fullback Daniel Gresham wasn’t born in Texas, but he got here as fast as he could and should soon see the impact of the related exposure, as he’s still waiting for his first official offer.
Daniel Gresham Still Looking For First Official Offer
A bruising 2014 running back/fullback already has a plan for how his college decision will go down.
A native of Louisville, Ky., Gresham moved to Texas when he was 12. He's since had a chance to become familiar with a state's flagship program, the Texas Longhorns, and has developed an affinity for head coach Mack Brown's team.
“Yeah, I like them a lot,” said the 5’11”, 230-pounder on Thursday. “Since I moved down here, everyone has been talking about them. I realized how prestigious they are.”
Back in June, Gresham made his way down to Austin for a camp with Knox and another teammate, 2014 wide receiver Kendall Adams. It was an experience he enjoyed.
“I loved it. Coach [Major] Applewhite was probably my favorite -- he’s a real cool guy. I didn’t get a chance to meet coach Brown.”
As Knox told SB Nation Recruiting moments before the interview with Gresham, Brown called the All Saints head coach about 30 minutes after they had left Austin, requesting a meeting. It didn’t happen at the time, but Applewhite has told Gresham that he’s been approved for an offer and will receive one at a Junior Day in February.
The Texas running back coach believes the offers will start flooding in for the bruising running back/fullback, so he’s had a consistent message for Gresham this summer.
"All he keeps telling me is not to commit when I start getting a bunch of offers," Gresham revealed. "Don't commit until I come down for the Junior Day."
A commitment before next February isn’t likely, as Gresham plans to sit down with Knox some time during their senior seasons, discuss their options and decide on a school together. Such package deals are commonly discussed and rarely actually happen, but the fact that the two already have a set plan bodes well for such a scenario unfolding.
Having grown up a Louisville fan, it’s possible that the Cardinals could factor into his decision.
“I like them a lot. I haven’t heard a lot about them since I’ve been here, but I heard a lot about them growing up.”
On a recent trip back to Kentucky, the running back coach discussed with Gresham how they would use him if an offer ends up being extended and the All Saints product decides to wear the red and black he grew up watching.
“Their running back coach told me that they like me as a fullback,” Gresham said. “He said that they get the ball to their fullback a lot. He was saying that he likes the way we’re in a West Coast offense because they’ve been trying to find a guy like me.
”They’ve been trying to make a quarterback into a guy like me, so I was like... ,“Gresham said, pausing to laugh. “He was saying that they’re highly interested and are going to be looking at me.”
Gresham is also interested in TCU, and spoke a little bit about where college coaches see him playing in the future.
“The only ones that are really talking about running back-wise are Texas -- coach Applewhite said that they would use me as both and Michigan has been talking to my coach about me being a running back, because every running back they’ve offered has been over 200 pounds, so they like the big, downhill running backs who can take a pounding.”
Gresham certainly fits that description.
For some players, talk of a position change can be a death knell for the team in question. Not so for Gresham, who is willing to put the needs of the team first.
"I'm open to playing fullback," he said. "To be honest, I would prefer to play running back and I'm trying to get my speed up so that coaches will keep that in mind, but whatever my team needs, that's what I'll play."
And with hard work, Gresham has increased his speed this summer, getting his 40 time down into the 4.6 range during recent testing. He’ll never be confused for a speedster, but his increase in speed and his impressive balance and tackle-breaking ability give college coaches who only want to play him at fullback something to think about.
For more on Horns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival, plus SB Nation Dallas.
For more on Horned Frogs football, visit TCU blog Frogs O’ War, plus SB Nation Dallas.
For more on Cardinals football, visit Louisville blog Card Chronicle, plus Big East blog Big East Coast Bias and SB Nation Indiana.
