Four-star Safety, Former Aggies Signee Kendal Daniels Commits to OSU

Four-star recruit Kendal Daniels, who signed with Texas A&M in December and was released from his NLI last week, has committed to Oklahoma State.

Daniels, a blue-chip safety from Beggs, Oklahoma who stands at a towering 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, announced the decision Monday on Twitter.

Daniels was the No. 1 recruit in the state of Oklahoma in the last recruiting cycle, according to 247Sports. The 247Sports Composite tabbed him as the No. 101 overall player nationally, and the 247Sports scouts ranked him 41st nationally. Here’s what Gabe Brooks of the recruiting website wrote of him:

Owns a unique frame for a safety prospect with elite height. Owns ample frame space to add mass. No available wingspan number but looks and plays long. Disruptive at the catch point because of it. Two-way player with multi-sport profile that includes basketball. Springy hooper with finishing ability at the rim on the hardwood. Senior season shows consistent two-way impact in consistency and big-play punch. Owns plus ball skills for a DB. Also more than willing to close downhill vs. run. Hitter by nature who will set the tone. Physical tools and football skill set provide potential for personnel flexibility and role versatility. Still need to fill out and play more consistently strong. Consistency in tackling technique can improve. Athleticism lacks verified testing or track context. Will need to hone coverage technique but physical gifts and functional athleticism are there. Among the nation’s top 2021 safeties. Likely impact player in college with plenty of long-term NFL Draft upside.

There was a time not long ago that an OSU-Daniels marriage appeared highly unlikely. Last May he released a top four and dropped OSU from consideration altogether, before eventually committing and signing with A&M. But he was granted his release last week, and OSU was said to be among those legitimately in the mix, despite that.

Daniels becomes OSU’s highest-rated commitment in the 2021 class by a wide margin, ahead of a star-studded group that included four-star in-state DT Aden Kelley and Texas standout receivers Bryson and Blaine Green. His commitment means he’ll once again join up with former Beggs teammate CJ Brown, a Class of 2022 talent committed to play running back at OSU.

It’s impossible to overstate just how significant an addition this is for Oklahoma State. It gives OSU its highest-rated defensive recruit since Richetti Jones in 2007 and marks the second time (including Tramonda Moore, who never played at OSU) in the 247Sports ranking era that the No. 1 recruit in the state has chosen the Cowboys.