Daniel Rose carries the football and Davies' hopes for the season
LINCOLN — The light went on for Daniel Rose during a Little League game.
He was a 12-year-old playing in the Fairlawn section of Pawtucket, and a batted ball sent him speeding out of the box. Rose rounded the bases with opposing fielders helpless to stop him, scoring on nothing more than what should have been an innocent single.
That natural quickness tends to show up more often now on Friday nights — and, in the near future, Saturday afternoons. Rose is hiding in plain sight at Davies Tech as one of the state’s most electric football talents, and college coaches have taken note.
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“I just enjoy running around on the field and making people miss when they’re trying to tackle me,” Rose said. “That’s the fun part for me. I like having the ball.”
The Patriots enter their fifth season as a program with a legitimate star. Rose was an All-State pick as a kick returner in 2022 — truthfully, he would be a factor at any number of positions. Davies could deploy him at times this fall as a quarterback, running back, slot receiver and defensive back.
“We’re going to go as he goes,” Davies coach Henry Cabral said. “He understands that. It’s a lot of responsibility, but he’s willing to take on that responsibility.”
Rose’s life changed in February when he received a scholarship offer from Temple. Jafar Williams, the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator with the Owls, tracked Rose through the 7-on-7 and camp circuits after his junior season with the Patriots. Boston College, Pittsburgh, Bryant, Merrimack and Assumption are among the other schools checking on a 5-foot-10-inch athlete who runs the 40-yard dash in less than 4.5 seconds.
“It feels good that I can play at the next level and do something with my talent,” Rose said. “After last season, my junior season, everything started to blow up. Coaches started texting me and calling me.”
Modern football emphasizes mismatches in space. That’s perfect for Rose, who is listed at 160 pounds and still might be fibbing a touch. He piled up 2,000 all-purpose yards and 20 touchdowns for Davies last season before proving himself further at the ESPN Under Armour Camp Series and with Breakthrough Elite.
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“That’s where he shines,” Cabral said. “He might be undersized but he’s fast. He’s athletic. He’s tough. He’s smart. He gets it — he understands.”
Rose has one particular family member who comprehends his current daily demands better than most. His cousin is Justin Denson, the former La Salle Academy standout who recently committed to Michigan State as a defensive back. Denson enjoyed a rapid rise on the recruiting trail after graduating from the Rams, dominating on the offseason camp circuit and enrolling for a prep year at Wyoming Seminary.
“The way he managed his recruitment, he just gives me tips,” Rose said. “He says just stay patient and stay calm through the whole process.
“I try to stay off social media every once in a while. Just stay with the team and stay focused.”
Denson enjoyed a larger platform than Rose in the state, helping La Salle capture a Super Bowl crown at the top level last fall. Current thinking in the NCAA ranks would have Rose transferring away from the Patriots to a stage grander than Division IV, but he’s a little different. Davies has offered him a structure in which he could thrive from the time he enrolled, and its dual-education track gives Rose a head start on what could be a future off-field career in renewable electrical energy.
“Someone like Danny, I’m sure as a freshman he was probably told, ‘Don’t go to Davies,’ ” Cabral said. “ ‘Why are you going to Davies? Oh, my God, don’t go to Davies.’ But the reality is I think we’ve provided him with a really good, stable environment both from a football and an educational perspective.”
Rose was a Pop Warner quarterback who should take some snaps at that position again this fall. He’ll operate as a dual threat — dangerous in the run game and a capable passer if given an opening. Some practice reading opposing defenses would offer a head start to what could be a college career as a slot receiver.
“He’s not walking around like, ‘I’m the man,’ ” Cabral said. “He just walks around like it’s another day.
“I think he handles it really well.”
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Davies football will go as far as Daniel Rose carries them
