Oklahoma State linebacker and defensive back Kendal Daniels has committed to Oklahoma, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.
After redshirting in 2021, Daniels played a key role in Oklahoma State’s defense for three seasons.
As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Daniels logged 45 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Daniels won Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year that season and earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.
Daniels continued his production over the next two seasons, starting in 2023 when he recorded 106 tackles, two sacks and six tackles for loss. He was an instrumental piece to Oklahoma State’s defense and helped the Cowboys reach the Big 12 Championship Game.
The Cowboys struggled in 2024, finishing 3-9, but Daniels’ production continued. He ended his final season in Stillwater with 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and seven pass deflections.
Growing up in Beggs, Daniels is an Oklahoma native. Daniels helped Beggs combine for 21 wins in his final two high school seasons and was selected to the 2021 All-American Bowl.
Daniels was rated as a 4-star prospect by all major recruiting services, and 247 Sports listed him as the No. 1 player from Oklahoma in the Class of 2021. He chose Oklahoma State over offers from Alabama, Oregon, Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame and others.
Primarily playing linebacker at Oklahoma State, Daniels adds much-needed experience in the middle of Oklahoma’s defense. All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman has used all of his college eligibility and will soon turn his focus to the NFL Draft, and the Sooners lost linebackers Dasan McCullough and Lewis Carter to the transfer portal. McCullough has since committed to Nebraska; Carter committed to UCF.
Daniels will team up with incoming redshirt junior linebacker Kip Lewis, who excelled in 2024. Lewis logged 63 total tackles, two pick-sixes and a pass deflection as a redshirt sophomore.
While Daniels stars at linebacker, he is capable of playing safety. The Sooners will be without 2024 senior defensive backs Woodi Washington and Billy Bowman Jr. next year, and they’ve lost four defensive backs — Kani Walker, Jayden Rowe, Erik McCarty and Makari Vickers — to the portal.
Daniels is the 14th player to commit to Oklahoma during the 2024-25 transfer portal season. He is the first linebacker commitment in the Sooners’ portal class and only the second defensive player, joining Florida State defensive end Marvin Jones Jr., who committed to OU on Sunday.
Oklahoma had the No. 14 transfer portal class and ninth-best class in the SEC before Daniels’ commitment, according to 247 Sports.
The winter transfer portal window closed on Dec. 28 after opening on Dec. 9. Players had to enter the transfer portal before the closing date but did not have to choose their next school by then.