Notre Dame's top returning playmaker has been cleared to return to school.
Junior wide receiver DaVaris Daniels (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) was suspended from school in January for an academic issue, and the school announced Wednesday that he would be re-admitted, beginning with summer school next month.
Daniels had 49 catches for 745 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and is expected to be the Irish's go-to receiver this season with the graduation of T.J. Jones, who led the Irish in all three receiving categories in 2013. Jones, who is Daniels' cousin, was a sixth-round pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2014 NFL Draft. Daniels has a higher upside than Jones.
Daniels' suspension caused him to miss spring practice; that means he hasn't caught a pass from projected starting quarterback Everett Golson since the 2012 season. Golson was suspended for the fall semester in 2013 and re-enrolled in January.
Daniels' return is important for a Notre Dame receiving group that lacks experience. Notre Dame's most experienced wide receiver during spring practice was junior Chris Brown (6-1, 191), who had 15 receptions in 2013. Sophomores Will Fuller (6-0, 171), C.J. Prosise (6-0, 220) and Corey Robinson (6-4, 205) -- the son of NBA Hall-of-Famer David Robinson -- also will be in the hunt for playing time.
Daniels' dad is Phillip Daniels, who starred at Georgia before playing defensive end for 15 seasons in the NFL.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
