The Sooner State is not as rich in talent as other football recruiting hotbeds like Texas and Florida. That’s why it is so important not to let top in-state talent to get away, and Oklahoma football is among four heavyweight programs still in the 2021 hunt for 4-star defensive back Kendal Daniels.
Daniels, who is listed at 6-foot, 4 inches, 190 pounds, is exactly the type of defensive back OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is looking for to shore up the back end of the Sooners much-maligned defense in recent seasons and put it in better position to defend the lengthier wide receivers in today’s college game.
Daniels has been heavily recruited by some of the best programs in college football, including SEC powerhouses Alabama, Georgia and Auburn. On Sunday he narrowed the list to four schools.
The Sooners have a good shot at keeping him home, but to do so they are going to have to do a better job of winning his heart and mind than Clemson, Texas A&M and LSU.
OU’s biggest competition in pursuing a commitment from Daniels is probably going to come from former Sooner assistant Brent Venables. Venables was a member of Bob Stoops’ coaching staff for 13 seasons (1999-2011) and is now defensive coordinator at Clemson. But don’t discount the forward press that also will come from the staffs and LSU and A&M.
According to 247Sports, Daniels is the top uncommitted player from the State of Oklahoma. The Sooners have been pursuing Daniels the longest, extending an offer on June 19 last year. He made an Oklahoma campus visit on July 26 last year.
The Sooners already have a 2021 commitment from another in-state defensive prospect, four-star DE Ethan Downs and they also have offered three-star defensive back A.J. Green out of Union High School in Tulsa.
Daniels, from Beggs, Oklahoma, approximately 30 miles south of downtown Tulsa, is a multi-sport athlete (football and basketball). He led his high school to an 11-0 2019 season and the 2A state semifinal game as a junior.
Oklahoma State and Tulsa also extended a scholarship offer to Daniels, but didn’t make the final cut.