Competing in shot put was not Braeden Daniels' first choice. Still, his offensive line coach at Hebron HS encouraged Daniels to join the track and field team. Daniels quickly decided if he was going to compete in shot put, he would excel at doing it.

“I didn't really have a choice. I kind of had to do it,” Daniels said. “But I kept working at it. I got better at it."

His hard work paid off in 2017 when he earned a podium finish in both the area and district championship meets – taking third place each time. Daniels focused on little details ranging from his bending motion to his glide to become more proficient at the sport.

A similar attention to detail has guided his rise into a valuable team leader for Utah on the offensive line.

The 6-foot-4 junior from Carrollton, Texas enters a new season with tons of experience. He has made 29 starts and appeared in 35 career games overall. Daniels has made 18 starts at right guard and 11 at left tackle. Since joining the program in 2018, his ability and willingness to play multiple positions up front has enhanced his value to the Utes.

“He's a lot like Nick Ford in the fact that he can play all five spots,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “That really gives us some versatility in the combinations out there. He can snap it. He can play inside or outside and at a high level.

Each position on the offensive line demands a specific skill from Daniels' perspective. Playing tackle is similar to playing chess, with a focus on trying to outwit an individual opponent. Guards rely on more strenuous physicality than the other positions. The center is the brains of the operation, reading blitzes and pressures and making the correct decisions for the whole line to combat them.

His approach to each position he's asked to play draws on the same approach he took with shot put. That can be anything from his hand placement to taking shorter steps after the ball is snapped.

“There's always more you can do to get better,” Daniels said. “There's always ways and details you can find to get better. That's just what I'm really trying to focus on – the little things.”

Daniels' work ethic paid off with him earning All-Pac-12 second-team honors last season. He shifted over to left tackle from right guard at the start of Pac-12 play and flourished at his new position.

Making a switch worked out, in large part, because Daniels invested his energy into learning the nuances required from every spot on the offensive line.

“It takes time,” Daniels said. “You got to continue to rep it, continue to get better each and every day.”

Whittingham credited Daniels' success as an offensive lineman to his high football IQ and natural intelligence on and off the field. He has earned the trust of his coaches and teammates because of what he does to develop his game.

“He's obviously intelligent,” Whittingham said. “To learn all five spots, you have to be intelligent. He's one of the team leaders and we're grateful he's back this year."