Scott, the thing with nature fang is that you get lots of feat-equivalents. If your plan involves something fancy along those lines then yes it is useful. There's also studied target though that's less important, and beating prereqs on some feats because those are ranger combat styles. A single d6 of sneak attack is there to enable certain talents which require that, it's not a major feature.
Anyway, a druid who wants to use a quarterstaff to trip. Stick-fighting style (/counter/maneuver) is going to be useful I think. Dirty fighting & improved trip at L1 to get that started, and slip combat reflexes in there if you can. There isn't a particularly trippy ranger combat style IIRC, you might pick up the elemental combat style or something.
I apologise for a lack of thinking this thru, I'm running on fumes just now.
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I'd go some wild shape Druid, Crocodile domain for sneak attack at 6th.
Shaping focus with 2 levels of Ranger for Natural Weapon Style to gain Improved Natural Attack Bite for Behemoth Hippopotamus.
Weapon Shift to use that weapon's trip property combined with Huge size to trip anything.
Lashing Aklys (+2 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to trip) and Balor's Lash (additional 2d6 fire on trip) may be used for their additional properties based on your GM's interpretation of "gain all of the weapon’s properties". Some GM require Improved Weapon Shift for properties like these. Some say you never gain them.
God choices at 7th would be accomplished sneak attacker for 2d6 SA or use a go down Sap Master path using a sap with Weapon Shift to deal loads of non-lethal.
Feral Combat Training or Weapon Shift with a "monk" weapon would allow you to use the natural weapon in Flurry or Brawler Flurry.
Stick Fighting Style and its upgrades as mentioned seems helpful. Tripping Staff feat can give quarterstaff trip quality if that matters.
The Tangled Limb's and Titan's Tangle feats are very nice for ignoring multiple limb bonuses and tripping larger foes, unfortunately they need a reach weapon instead. I don't know of any legit ways to add reach to a quarterstaff. Spear Dancing Style could maybe but that would take too many feats. Maybe transforming weapon with a Fighter's Fork would be allowed for a telescopic staff?
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The character is do able. 3/4th bab, a potent accuracy boost, size change and aspect to spells and 9th level casting. Add in sneaky tricks like using stone discus to basically full attack and study on a surprise round.
You still have summoning to fall back on.
I have made sword and board, archer, caster and they have all worked well.
It's workable. It's a full spellcaster with a gimmick to make use of immediate actions & to make it have a little more battlefield presence. It won't be able to stay on the front line for long, especially if you make it a samsaran, but you'll have fun while you're there.