Jackson State’s Robert McDaniel: ‘Once I get on the field … I’m getting in your head’

Jackson State safety Robert McDaniel can’t exactly pinpoint where his aggressive on-the-field persona comes from, but he believes it has something to do with his favorite rapper: Kendrick Lamar.   

Lamar’s “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” McDaniel’s pregame song, sets the tone on game days. Like his musical playlist, he said, he can turn his aggressiveness on and off, and the song acts like a switch. 

“I’m ready to take somebody’s head off … once that [song] come on,” McDaniel said. “Players try to smack talk me and stuff on the field because I am aggressive, but once I get on the field you can’t kill my vibe. I’m getting in your head, but you’re not gonna get in mine.”

That mentality propelled the Mississippi native to a breakout season in which he recorded 55 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and three interceptions. During the HBCU Legacy Bowl in February and Jackson State’s Pro Day in March, scouts raved about McDaniel’s versatility and prototypical size. Now, after speaking to more than 20 NFL teams, he hopes to be selected in this week’s NFL draft.

Over the last three years, Jackson State has led Division I historically Black colleges and universities in having the most players drafted, with linebacker James Houston in 2022 and cornerback Isaiah Bolden in 2023. When the draft begins Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, McDaniel will be with his family and friends at home in Jackson, Mississippi, looking to hear his name called, too.

“Jackson State has always been a place where dogs are born [and] are bred,” McDaniel said. “I’m just trying to add myself to that list like all these guys that was here before me that went on to the league and showcased what they can do. … I’m just trying to do the same.”

McDaniel’s collegiate journey from Jackson State to community college to eventually returning to Jackson State reflects his determination to always bet on himself.

“Honestly, it didn’t happen the way I thought it would happen,” he said. “But lo and behold, I’m in this position right now where I was able to finish off strong [and] showcase what I can do to my fullest potential.”

After his freshman season in 2019, he left Jackson State with hopes of playing for a Power 4 program. After competing against current NFL players Cam Akers and John Rhys Plumlee while they were in high school, McDaniel believed he, too, could compete at the FBS level. After a year at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, McDaniel transferred to Jackson State’s Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) rival Alcorn State in 2022, where he played two seasons for the Braves before transferring for a final time seeking a larger role on defense.

Jackson State defensive coordinator / defensive backs coach Torenzo Quinn worked closely with McDaniel in 2022 when Quinn was the safeties coach at Alcorn State and McDaniel was a redshirt sophomore transfer. Quinn said he saw a pro-level skill set in McDaniel as an underclassman and advocated for him to area scouts who would visit the Braves’ football practices.

Jackson State head football coach T.C. Taylor was a wide receivers coach for the Tigers in 2019. He remembers having to coach his players against McDaniel on defense every day in practice during McDaniel’s freshman year and having to coach against him in conference games after McDaniel transferred to Alcorn.

“I used to try to tell them, like, he’s a physical football player,” Taylor said. “He has the size. He’s a guy that’s gonna play on Sunday. So if you can go out here and play well, even potentially dominate this play against Rob McDaniel, you got an opportunity to play on the next level.”

McDaniel transferred back to Jackson State in 2024 and immediately made an impact for the Tigers’ secondary. Esaias Guthrie, who is currently a defensive analyst and nickels coach for the Tigers, recalls how McDaniel’s work ethic made him stand out in practice and the weight room.

McDaniel’s lead-by-example attitude set the tone for Jackson State’s defense, which ranked No. 2 in the conference last season. 

“Rob’s not gonna say too much, [he’s] not really the loudest in the room, but when he walks in the room, you definitely gonna notice him,” Guthrie said. “He was very well versed with the system that we were running, so he brought a different level of knowledge to it. For him to come in the way he did and kind of put us on game was very important for our development as a defense as well.”

Although McDaniel finished his collegiate eligibility in December, the coaching staff still shows his game film to underclassmen as an example of the Jackson State standard of defense. 

“Football is his life. He’ll be physical. He’s gonna run or do everything that you ask him to do,” Quinn said. “[He is] one of the best guys I ever coached in my 15 years – the total package.”

Since his freshman season in college, McDaniel’s biggest area of growth has been increasing his knowledge of the game. Outside of practice he watches film on opposing teams and studies the defensive playbook to ensure he knows the roles and duties of each player on the field. 

Learning more about the game allowed McDaniel to demonstrate his versatility throughout the season. The coaching staff had him play multiple positions in addition to his natural position as a safety, ranging from a cornerback guarding opponents’ best wide receivers to a pass rusher blitzing quarterbacks. McDaniel believes his experience playing multiple positions will help him flourish in any NFL system. 

“I feel as though that’s adding on to my value,” McDaniel said. “Different teams come with different packages and different systems that they run. You can put me into any scheme and you can get more exotic with your coverages.”

Since the end of his senior season, McDaniel has remained at Jackson State, working out in preparation for the NFL draft. He has been focused on improving his agility and explosiveness. 

McDaniel’s athletic testing numbers at the HBCU Combine in February would’ve ranked in the top five among safeties at the NFL Combine. His broad jump, measuring 10 feet, 10.5 inches, would’ve ranked him second among safeties, and his 39.5-inch vertical jump would’ve ranked him fourth. 

“I feel as though my game speaks for itself [and] what I can bring to a team,” McDaniel said. “I’m very intentional with what I do. … Especially now at this time, I know it’s no days to waste.”

Since the beginning of the college football season last fall, Taylor has fielded interest from NFL teams about McDaniel. 

“I tell my players all the time – if you put in the time, you put in the work, and we’re winning championships, [scouts] have no choice but come in here and invest in you as players,” Taylor said. 

“[Jackson State alums] Walter Payton, Robert Brazile, all those guys, they not only were good players that worked their butts off, but they were winning. They were winners. That’s what everybody wants on their rosters right now – winners – and Rob McDaniel fits that mold.”