February 26, 2026; Berkeley, CA, USA; Cal Football Headshots California Memorial Stadium. (Photo credit: Al Sermeno/KLC fotos)

Darrion Daniels

  • Title
    Defensive Line/Pass Rush Specialist

Championships

  • Big Ten Champion (2024)
  • Orange Bowl Champion (2025)

Coaching Accolades

  • 1 first round NFL Draft pick
  • 1 All-American
  • 1 All-Big Ten first team selection
  • 3 All-Big Ten second team selections
  • 5 All-Big Ten third team selection
  • 3 All-Big Ten honorable mention selections

Notable Players Coached

  • Jordan Burch (Cardinals)
  • Derrick Harmon (Steelers)
  • Bear Alexander (Oregon)
  • Teitum Tuioti (Oregon)
  • Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon)
  • A'Mauri Washington (Oregon)

Darrion Daniels was named Cal's defensive line coach on December 27, 2025.

Darrion Daniels, who comes to Cal in 2026 after a two-year stint in Eugene as a defensive analyst for Oregon, was a standout defensive lineman in college at Oklahoma State and Nebraska. 

Daniels helped Oregon to its 2024 Big Ten Championship title and back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances in 2024 and 2025. He aided in the instruction of two all-conference selections in Derrick Harmon and Bear Alexander. Harmon, an All-American, went on to be drafted 21st overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

As a player, Daniels was named a team captain for the Cornhuskers and was later named an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection for his play during his senior year in Lincoln. 

As a senior, he totaled a career-high 34 tackles on the season, with four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and his first career interception at Nebraska. While at Oklahoma State, Daniels recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss and 1.0 sack in his four games in 2018. As a junior in 2017, Daniels started 10 games and had 26 tackles, five TFLs, a half-sack, two pass breakups and a pair of quarterback hurries. He earned the Vernon Grant Award for outstanding leadership, spirit and enthusiasm following the season. As a sophomore, Daniels appeared in 13 games, totaling 15 tackles, one TFL, one breakup, one hurry and one blocked extra point. Daniels was named Oklahoma State's most outstanding defensive newcomer as a true freshman in 2015, when he played in 13 games and had 16 tackles, 2.5 TFLs and a half-sack.

Daniels played his prep ball for Bishop Dunne High School in Dallas, where he was named a first-team all-state selection as both a junior and a senior. Darrion earned his degree in marketing from Oklahoma State in December of 2018 and a master's degree in applied science from Nebraska in August of 2022.Â