When CJ Daniels hit the portal from Liberty last year, Auburn reached out. He visited campus, but ultimately signed with LSU.
One year later, Daniels is back in the transfer portal, and once again, Auburn came calling. Daniels made Auburn his first stop this go-around, as the transfer wide receiver visited the Plains Thursday and Friday.
“Definitely a blessing to have people here that still want you even though you didn’t choose to come here the first time,” Daniels said. “It’s a blessing to have another opportunity and another blessing to be wanted, as well.”
Daniels arrived on campus Thursday night and spent all of Friday with the coaching staff, one that he’s familiar with from his days at Liberty.
“It was pretty good,” Daniels said. “Lots of familiar faces, so definitely comfortable walking in the building.”
The message hasn’t changed from the staff, either.
“Come to Auburn,” Daniels said. “It’s simple as that.”
Auburn’s leading receiver from this season was a transfer, as the Tigers brought in KeAndre Lambert-Smith from Penn State. Is seeing someone with that kind of immediate impact a big deal?
“It definitely is, I’ve been a part of this system, too,” Daniels said. “I know from experience how explosive of an offense they can be as well, so I’m very familiar with everything here.”
Daniels spent four seasons at Liberty, three of which were under Hugh Freeze, before transferring to LSU last season. In one season with LSU, Daniels hauled in 42 receptions for 480 yards. One thing of note is that Auburn is currently seeking to add two quarterbacks from the transfer portal.
One target, Jackson Arnold, was on campus for an official visit at the same time as Daniels.
“I spoke to him a few times, we ran by each other a couple times,” Daniels said. “He seems like a good dude.”
Having the right quarterback is important for Daniels in his decision.
“Point blank period,” Daniels said. “You can’t go nowhere without a quarterback, so that’s definitely gonna be a big factor.”
Daniels has two other visits planned — Ole Miss and Miami Alongside Auburn, those are the three schools that have separated themselves. His next step will to be to figure out which program he fits into that allows him to be himself best.
“That’s the main thing for me,” Daniels said. “And not just make an impact of who I am, but leave an impact on the guys under me. Play for the name on my back and the name in front of my jersey as well, leaving a legacy for this last one.”
