One of Oklahoma State’s top defenders in the portal is staying in the state.

On Monday, Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported that transfer safety Kendal Daniels has committed to Oklahoma. Daniels spent the first four seasons of his career at OSU and was a staple of the Cowboys’ defense throughout the past three years.

Daniels’ top season with the Cowboys came in 2023, as he was a key part of OSU’s defense in the team’s run to 10 wins. He finished the season with career-bests in almost every category.  His 2023 season featured 105 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. In his second full season, he easily lived up to the hype of his four-star label.

While he had solid seasons in 2022 and 2024, he will be looking to recapture the magic of his 2023 campaign in Norman. He finishes his OSU career with 240 tackles, 24 tackles for loss and five interceptions and made an impact consistently in an OSU uniform.

A four-star recruit out of high school and the top player in Oklahoma, Daniels was a massive commit for the Cowboys when he arrived in 2021. Oklahoma was among the first batch of schools to offer Daniels in 2019, but he ultimately chose to begin his career in Stillwater.

Daniels was among the many players to enter the transfer portal after OSU’s 3-9 season, where it boasted one of the worst defenses in the country. While Daniels was far from the only issue on OSU’s defense, he didn’t live up to expectations coming off of a Big 12 Championship appearance in 2023.

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Join News 9 Sports Director Dean Blevins, News On 6 Sports Director John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland for this week’s edition of the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz.

Sunday, January 5th 2025, 11:32 pm

By:

News On 6,

News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY –

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland begin the show with their opening takes.

Toby’s Top 3

Thunder Report: Thunder Beat Celtics 105-92

OU, OSU, TU Update

Viewer Question

OU, OSU, TU Basketball Recap

Play The Percentages

Oklahoma State has added another potential impact player along the defensive front.

On Sunday, OSU added UCLA defensive lineman Sitiveni Havili-Kaufusi out of the transfer portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports. Havili-Kaufusi spent his past three seasons of college football with the Bruins but is looking for a change as he enters 2025.

Havili-Kaufusi had his most productive year last season, making 10 total tackles, including a tackle for loss. He finished his UCLA career with 22 tackles across 33 games, as he played in almost every contest for the Bruins in his time there.

While his production doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, adding a defensive lineman who OSU can rely on to stay on the field throughout the season would be a huge advantage. Although injuries can happen to anyone at any time, as OSU learned with Collin Oliver and Nick Martin last season, being a durable player entering a new situation is typically a key for quick success.

After going 3-9 and boasting one of the worst defenses in college football in virtually every area in 2024, the Cowboys are looking to shake things up over the offseason. The first big change was with the staff, firing two-year defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo and bringing in veteran Todd Grantham to lead that unit. That change led to a number of other staff changes, including Grantham adding some of his former assistants to the OSU staff.

Havili-Kaufusi is just the latest addition to Grantham’s unit through the transfer portal. After adding him, other linemen and some highly touted players in the secondary, OSU could be set for a resurgent year defensively.

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