Trevor Daniel knew he could be a solid punter.
He just didn’t think he would be one of the best in the SEC.
The six-foot-one, 248-pound elementary school “Kickball Champion” Daniel walked onto the scene at UT two years ago, and, after redshirting his first year and sitting behind Matt Darr all of last year, won the starting job over Nate Renfro and Tommy Townsend this fall.
Daniel has not disappointed, moving into second in total punting yards (762) and third with the longest punt (61) in the SEC — two categories Daniel did not expect to be so high in entering this season.
“I’m very surprised. I didn’t think it could happen, but I’m happy,” Daniel said after Tuesday’s practice. “I thought I’d be a solid punter, but I didn’t think I’d be leading the SEC.”
Daniel didn’t start punting until his junior year of high school. The Dickson County High graduate held down the tight end and linebacker positions for his team before transitioning to the punter position his third year.
In the words of Daniel, “Someone had to do it,” and the now redshirt sophomore fit the bill well.
“The summer before my senior year, I went to some camps, and they told me I had potential,” Daniel said. “I had offers at Eastern Kentucky and Lenoir-Rhyne … But I grew up a Tennessee fan.”
The former Cougar instantly gained a fan in tight end and specialist coach Mark Elder, who called Daniel “one of the strongest guys (UT’s) got”.
“His focus has gotten better and better,” Elder said. “You see his focus now, and it’s exactly where it needs to be, and that’s why he’s performing at a high level. He’s locked in every single day and every single punt.”
Daniel’s focus has shown on the playing field. The redshirt sophomore has blasted 16 punts for an average of 47.6 yards.
With seven punts of over 50 yards and eight punts inside the 20-yard line, the team has relied on Daniel’s leg to get them out of some sticky situations throughout the year.
With field position being such a key component in football, Elder is happy to have someone like Daniel to rely on — especially if the offense comes up empty on a possession in an opponent’s territory.
“It’s (field position) only going to get more important as this season comes along because we’re going to be playing in some tight ball games week in and week out when we go through the SEC schedule,” Elder said. “Obviously, punting is a huge part of that. When you’re able to gain a whole bunch of yards and not allow return yardage, or you’re able to pin someone inside the ten, that stuff plays a huge part in being able to be successful and win the game.”
Tennessee has produced a number of NFL-caliber punters over the past decade. If Daniel sustains his success from the first three games, he might be next in line.
“Mentally, through the season, it makes me feel good that I got the starting job and just feel confident,” Daniel said. “I think that Coach (Butch) Jones has more confidence in me, so it makes me feel good.”
