NoelarBear
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Q&A: California OL Daniel Shipp Jr. sits down with GopherHole. - GopherHole.com
Yesterday was National Signing Day in college football, and your Minnesota Golden Gophers finished the day with a total of 21 commitments. Of those 21 commitments, five of them are from the West Coast. Minnesota signed more west coast seniors outside of the former PAC-12 schools that are now in...
Yesterday was National Signing Day in college football, and your Minnesota Golden Gophers finished the day with a total of 21 commitments. Of those 21 commitments, five of them are from the West Coast. Minnesota signed more west coast seniors outside of the former PAC-12 schools that are now in the Big Ten. One of the west coast signees was Daniel Shipp out of Corona, California. Shipp plays for powerhouse Centennial in Southern California, which routinely produces Power Four talent. When highlighting Shipp at his press conference, Gophers P.J. Fleck said, “Shipp plays left tackle for one of the top high schools in the country. A prototypical offensive tackle body.”
Centennial offensive line coach Rob Shirley had this to say about Shipp: “He possesses good size and athleticism that can dominate on the line. He’s a young high school senior. With continued development, he has the potential to become a cornerstone of the offensive line for years to come.”
GopherHole caught up with Daniel Shipp just off of National Signing Day.
1. Can you share about your recruitment with Minnesota? When did you first hear from them, and how did your official visit go in the Twin Cities?
I first heard from the University a few weeks after my College showcase, I did a good job showcasing my skill set and the film got to them. The recruitment process with them was genuine, Consistent conversation and good talks lead to my official visit in June. When I first got to the state I instantly fell in love with it, the OV was full of food and fun and just good people definitely something I’ll never forget.
2. Centennial is a powerhouse in football in Southern California. How was your experience there, and how have they prepared you to play at the next level?
The blessing about playing at a school like Centennial high school is you get to play the best teams in the entire country and compete with them. Going against schools like St. John Bosco and Mater dei the best high school programs in the country truly prepare you for the next level. In those games everyone is D1 it’s not like you’re going up against a back up JV player (no disrespect); it’s iron vs iron.
3. For Minnesota fans, how would you describe yourself as an offensive lineman? What kind of player are they getting?
My best way to describe it is that gopher fans are getting a God-fearing athlete saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. I have strong faith, and before I’m a football player, I’m a follower of Christ. That allows me to be a very good athlete and force on the field that will help Minnesota win a lot of football games.
4. Can you give us some insight on why you chose the Gophers? What stood out to you about the football program and the university?
What stood out to me was Coach Fleck and Coach Callahan; them being there for so long really says something about the program in itself, especially with the state of CFB. Not to mention the history Minnesota has with offensive linemen, they take pride in coaching guys and taking them to the NFL and that’s my destination. But football aside, the entire staff are just good men and women, the kind of people you want to surround yourself with to make you a better person.