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Portal Profile: LB Kendal Daniels

DMoney
DMoney
2 min read
Oklahoma State LB Kendal Daniels is one of the most gifted players in the Portal. A former Top 100 recruit who spent his first two years at safety, the 6’4, 235-pound Daniels brings a unique skillset to the position.



Through his first three years, Daniels has compiled 240 career tackles, 24 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, 13 PBUs and 5 INTs. Last season, his first as a full-time linebacker, he had 64 tackles, 11 TFLs and 5.5 sacks.



As a converted safety, Daniels brings the ability to match up with tight ends and running backs in coverage and achieve depth on his zone drops.



Daniels has almost 2,300 career snaps and, unlike James Williams and Ray Ray Armstrong, made the conversion to linebacker before reaching the pro level.



He burst onto the scene as a freshman safety in 2022, winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year with 71 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 3 INTs and 8 PBUs.

As a recruit, he played basketball and football for Beggs High School in Oklahoma State. He was a high four-star prospect and a Top 5 safety in the nation.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10468181/5fe40017664b6d1450e2643e

On the hardwood, he was an above-the-rim player with springy athleticism.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10468181/60182e6eff01d709fc02c9b4

 

Comments (31)

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Would be the best player on our defense from day 1 and the best LB we've had since... at least Perryman.. probably dating back to the early 2000s guys

Most versatile LB in terms of tackling, coverage, ball skills, blitzing, etc. that would have ever player here.
 
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Watched his games against Kansas State and Arkansas from this season.

The talent is real. He was running down Avery Johnson and he has knockback as a tackler. Looked pretty comfortable in coverage, too, and he can blitz. You could tell he was a little tentative at LB, but the football instincts looked pretty good and the experience will help. He switched positions at the right time.

The one issue is that he's coming from a bad defense and had some effort issues. Oklahoma State fans associated him with some of the disappointment in their team. I think you take him no questions asked, but we need to add an alpha tone setter in the back 7 to help change the personality of the defense.
 
JayCane20 said:
Would be the best player on our defense from day 1 and the best LB we've had since... at least Perryman.. probably dating back to the early 2000s guys

Most versatile LB in terms of tackling, coverage, ball skills, blitzing, etc. that would have ever player here.
Click to expand...
Jay why do the pokes say he’s lazy and good riddance?
 
DMoney said:
Watched his games against Kansas State and Arkansas from this season.

The talent is real. He was running down Avery Johnson and he has knockback as a tackler. Looked pretty comfortable in coverage, too, and he can blitz. You could tell he was a little tentative at LB, but the football instincts looked pretty good and the experience will help. He switched positions at the right time.

The one issue is that he's coming from a bad defense and had some effort issues. Oklahoma State fans associated him with some of the disappointment in their team. I think you take him no questions asked, but we need to add an alpha tone setter in the back 7 to help change the personality of the defense.
Click to expand...
Hopefully a change of enviroment and money year all rejevinates this guys effort.

Has a visit been set-up?
 
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Gocanes1990 said:
Jay why do the pokes say he’s lazy and good riddance?
Click to expand...
Because their defense as a whole sucked lol

This is CIS (me included) with Kinchens, Williams, and Taylor scenario. He was probably frustrated with what was around him and things happening that he couldn't control.

Daniels will thrive wherever he ends up (assuming its a decent situation like it should be)
 
gogeta4 said:
would be a priority for me
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In these nickel linebacker positions, I'm @gogeta4 @Coach Macho and @Memnon cause you guys are the coaches in SFL, and I'm from Canada we always use a a 40 front with a "Nickel backer" as our tweener but he rarely is in the box, essentially calling it sniffing the box as is in a 90 position at best pending run strength offensive box formation. Anyways, would a better measurable or body type in American football be more of a fluid version of a JACK LB (i.e., a guy built like Booker Pickett) but would rather play coverage then on the LOS? This person seems to be the case as was James Williams? I know JW really wanted to play SAF so that forced a hand.
With these length it allows them to run the seam and walls off coverage well (for over, dig and all in routes) and makes then force tight window throws for seam throws (which I've coached up). They're a rare breed of players it seems (i.e., 6-2 220 to 6-4 235 with that 4.5 4.6 ish speed) in CFB or are they just not used there, those body types get pushed on the LOS and put on weight to get after the QB.

The comparable body type would be the Quick End (i.e., weakside End) just again more fluid footwork.
Are these guys/body types that hard to find?
 
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Ill take him for sure, but effort concerns is usually a red flag you shouldn’t look over. Idc if the team is bad or not you’re effort shouldn’t be questioned ever
 
Does staff plan to use him purely at LB or will he be used simultaneously at safety too ? Looks like an athlete no doubt
 
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