Fresh Faces: Oklahoma's Kendal Daniels Adjusting to Cross-Bedlam Transfer

Kendal Daniels didn’t feel comfortable repeating the words “Boomer Sooner” when he first arrived in Norman.

Daniels, a linebacker, played four seasons at Oklahoma State before transferring to Oklahoma after the 2024 season.

Though the Bedlam Rivalry is now dormant, Daniels knows about the mutual disdain among the schools.

“Emotionally, I feel like it was hard at first,” Daniels said. “At the end of the day, it’s just football. Being able to come here and meet the new guys here, meet the coaches here, build relationships, I feel like that’s the biggest thing.”

Daniels appeared in just three games and redshirted his first season in Stillwater before breaking out in 2022.

He was named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year as a redshirt freshman, logging 71 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, five pass breakups, three interceptions, a forced fumble and a safety. Daniels followed that up well in 2023, starting all 14 games for the Cowboys and finishing with 105 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries.

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Oklahoma State struggled mightily in 2024, finishing 3-9 and failing to win a Big 12 game. Still, Daniels was productive, recording 11 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups. 

While Daniels opted to join his former rival, the linebacker still has a soft spot for the Cowboys and the memories that he made in Stillwater.

“Those are my guys. We’ve been through ups and downs together,” Daniels said. “Some of the guys are at the Combine. Those guys, those are my brothers to this day. Building new relationships will be fun.”

Because of the Bedlam Rivalry, Daniels wasn’t sure how he'd be received in Norman. But that hasn’t been an issue thus far.

“It’s fun,” Daniels said. “I thought (my teammates) would be kind of standoffish. I feel like we didn’t really get close until we started to do harder drills. I feel like we’ve grown even closer.”

Though the setting around him is different, Daniels is used to change.

He converted from safety to linebacker before the 2024 season. Less than a year removed from making a position switch, Daniels hasn’t struggled to get adjusted to his new program.

“Same aspect as changing from high school to college, you have to get more physical,” Daniels said. “It’s kind of like the same transition. Once you love something and really want to dive into it and you put time into it, it kind of makes it easier.”

Daniels is listed at 6-5 and 239 pounds. He was just 179 pounds when he enrolled at Oklahoma State in 2021.

Daniels is primed to play Oklahoma’s “cheetah” position, which combines the roles of a linebacker and defensive back. And that aligns almost perfectly with Daniels’ goals at OU of playing anywhere he’s asked to.

“I’m just here to play defense,” Daniels said. “If they wanted me to run through a wall, I would.”

The Sooners and Cowboys no longer play each other, due to Oklahoma joining the SEC in 2024. But OU’s veterans are very familiar with Daniels.

Daniels went 1-1 in his two appearances against the Sooners, winning the final installment of the Bedlam series in 2023.

The Sooners who played against Daniels are glad that he’s switched allegiances.

“Dude is a baller,” linebacker Kip Lewis said. “We watched tape of Oklahoma State a couple of years ago. I was like, ‘Who is this No. 5?’ It was him. We already knew he was going to be a player.”

Linebacker Kobie McKinzie added, “That guy’s a freak. It’s weird: He’s huge, he can move, he can do everything. Really, really talented guy. I’m excited to see him play.”