Charlotte Defensive Back Transfer Mordecai McDaniel Commits to Oklahoma State

TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER

The Cowboys’ new defensive staff is rather familiar with the Pokes’ latest portal pickup.

Mordecai McDaniel, who spent time at Florida and most recently at Charlotte, announced his commitment to Oklahoma State on Sunday. McDaniel was listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds last season with the 49ers. He played 375 snaps as a safety for Charlotte this past season, according to PFF, where he logged 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and had three pass breakups.

Dreams in motion 🏈⚡️ Rocking the orange and black, ready to make my mark at Oklahoma State! Let’s ride, Cowboys! 🤠 #GoPokes #CowboyUp #LLD🕊️ pic.twitter.com/SpxKGqpyWx

— Mordecai McDaniel (@ThatsMordecai) December 22, 2024

Before McDaniel’s season in Charlotte, he spent 2022 and 2023 at the junior college level with Iowa Western. Before that, he spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons at Florida. In his two seasons with the Gators, McDaniel had 19 tackles and an interception. According to PFF, McDaniel has been targeted 24 times at the Division-I level, where he’s given up just 15 catches. He’s allowed one touchdown to go with the interception and three PBUs.

The connections to the Cowboys’ new staff are aplenty. New OSU defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was Florida’s DC while McDaniel was in Gainesville. And Ryan Osborn, OSU’s new defensive line coach, was most recently the DC at Charlotte.

As a high schooler, McDaniel was the No. 222 player in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports. He initially chose Florida over offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Michigan and others.

McDaniel becomes the second defensive back the Cowboys have landed in the past two days — joining LSU transfer JK Johnson. McDaniel is also the second Cowboy commit thus far Sunday, joining New Mexico State offensive lineman Louie Canepa.