Dorian O’Daniel is the latest Clemson player to blossom into a star

As well as Clemson has recruited in recent years, it has also signed its share of prospects that needed time to develop before turning into stars.

Some guys have arrived “no assembly required, ready to go,” as Dabo Swinney described it on Tuesday.

But for every Sammy Watkins or Deshaun Watson that flourishes as a freshman, there is a Kevin Dodd or Vic Beasley that needs time to turn into a key contributor.

The latest player to join the second group is senior linebacker Dorian O’Daniel. The former high school running back has improved his play each season since redshirting in 2013. Now he is playing like one of the best linebackers in the nation.

O’Daniel contributed mostly off the bench in 2014 and 2015, before starting 10 games and playing well in 2016. But he has taken his game to another level in his final season with the Tigers. Through three games, he leads Clemson in tackles with 24, eight more than anyone else, is tied for second on the team in tackles for loss with 3 and is responsible for Clemson’s only forced turnover of the season, an interception he returned for a 44-yard touchdown against Louisville.

“He’s kind of the Vic Beasley of this team, very similar kind of paths. You always saw the talent. You always saw the flash. He had to really learn,” Swinney said. “He played running back in high school, Vic played running back, and we decided we’re going to play (Dorian) at linebacker. He didn’t know linebacker from corner when he got to Clemson, and that kind of limited him early, just a lot to learn, but man, what a football player.”

O’Daniel laughed off the notion that he didn’t know what a linebacker was when he signed with the Tigers in 2013, but he agrees that he had plenty to learn.

There were times when he questioned if he would ever become an elite player, but he continued to push through and trust in the process.

“It was definitely an adjustment. There were times when I was discouraged. I wasn’t sure I wanted to play linebacker anymore, or if I made the right choice,” O’Daniel said. “But Swinney does a good job of preaching to us stay the course … And at the right time, if you work hard, then it’ll show up on game day. That’s what I did.”

In addition to changing positions, the work ethic required to play at an elite level was also an adjustment for O’Daniel.

As he matured and got tired of standing on the sideline, he spent more time watching film and working on his technique.

“Early on in my career, I definitely got discouraged just because I felt like I deserved to play more than I was, strictly off of my talent. But I had to know what I was doing. I just couldn’t be out there running around trying to hit anything,” O’Daniel said. “I knew I had to sacrifice, put in extra time away from the stadium. I couldn’t just come in Monday through Friday, or whenever it was, whenever we were just required to be here. I had to put in extra time coming here, when no one else was here. Study extra film. All those things allowed me to be great.”

Playing for an intense defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in Brent Venables, who is regarded as one of the best in the country, also helped push O’Daniel.

“He is a coach that demands the best, demands effort, hard work, technique and the little things matter,” O’Daniel said. “You could be the best player on the team but if you don’t know what you’re doing, coaches are going to have a hard time trusting you, putting you out there on the field.”

Venables is proud of Clemson’s track record of developing players and is glad to have O’Daniel added to the list.

“We’re not running guys off so those guys stay in the program and they’re nurtured the right way. By their last year at least, if not sooner, you see a really polished product of understanding, commitment, toughness, leadership, all of those things,” Venables said.

This story was originally published September 19, 2017 at 6:30 PM with the headline "Dorian O’Daniel is the latest Clemson player to blossom into a star."