Oklahoma State star transfer defender Kendal Daniels commits to Oklahoma

Oklahoma has landed a commitment from former Oklahoma State star defender Kendal Daniels, according to On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

After spending four seasons with Oklahoma’s rival at Oklahoma State, Daniels is now set to play for the Sooners.

Kendal Daniels played safety during his first three seasons at Oklahoma State and moved to linebacker this year.

He appeared in all 12 of Oklahoma State’s games this season, tallying 64 tackles, 5.5 sacks and seven passes defended. Daniels had the best season of his career last year when he erupted for a career-high 105 tackles, along with two sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Now he is joining an Oklahoma defense that is led by one of the best defensive minds in college football in Brent Venables. The Sooners had a top-20 defense this past season, but struggled offensively.

Kendal Daniels will look to keep Oklahoma strong on the defensive side of the ball.

In his redshirt freshman season in 2022, Daniels burst onto the scene, amassing 71 tackles and a career-high three interceptions. For his efforts, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches and included on the FWAA Freshman All-America Team.

Additionally, Daniels received third-team honors on the College Football News Freshman All-America team and was listed on the second-team All-Big 12 team by the league’s coaches.

In September, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy discussed the joy of watching Daniels adapt to the new role.

“It’s fun to watch him, because he’s one of those guys you can see get better each week, just from experience,” Gundy said. “There’s a lot of repetition and learning that takes place in that position. He’s never seen it before this.”

While Daniels admitted he still had a lot to learn about the position, he seemingly enjoyed playing linebacker.

“I love linebacker,” Daniels said. “I love Coach Joe Bob (Clements). I love that they invested in me and they helped me along the way that I’ve been going, and they worked hard on me. 

“I mess up sometimes. Everybody’s human, but it’s a learning experience. I’m learning. I’m getting better. I go, I work hard. Guys like Jeff Roberson and Nick Martin, they make it even easier just because those guys help me.”

Kendal Daniels played high school football at Beggs (OK), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 76 overall recruit and No. 4 safety in the 2021 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.