Former Oklahoma LB Kendal Daniels Hears His Name Called on Day Three of the NFL Draft

He was only an Oklahoma for one season, but Kendal Daniels’ time as a Sooner was meaningful, impactful, and memorable for the program and its fanbase.

The Oklahoma native from Beggs was drafted in the fourth round, 134 overall by the Atlanta Falcons.

Daniels now makes four Sooners drafted in the 2026 draft. Brent Venables’ tenure as Oklahoma’s head coach now includes 14 draft picks. He is the 15th defensive player selected in the NFL Draft since 2020.

Other Sooners drafted so far are R Mason Thomas (Kansas City Chiefs, second round, pick 40), Febechi Nwaiwu (Houston Texans, fourth round, pick 106) and Gracen Halton (San Francisco 49ers, fourth round, pick 107).

Oklahoma Sooners, Kendal Daniels — Oklahoma linebacker Kendal Daniels warms up before facing Alabama in the CFP | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Daniels was an impactful player on one of the best defenses in the nation in 2026. His nine tackles for loss helped bring a new edge to the cheetah position at Oklahoma. In all, he logged 28 solo tackles, 53 total and recovered a fumble in the 23-21 win over Alabama during the regular season.

Daniels began his career in 2021 as an Oklahoma State Cowboy, where he primarily played safety. He was the Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year and earned Second-team All-Big 12 during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2022. He tallied 204 combined tackles, five interceptions and 7.5 sacks during his time in Stillwater.

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Daniels was initially recruited by the previous staff led by Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch. In the end, Daniels chose the Cowboys due to them playing him at safety.

After Venables arrived in 2022 and Daniels hit the transfer portal following his redshirt junior season in 2024, Oklahoma was viewed as a likely destination for Daniels. The cheetah position — a linebacker/safety hybrid — seemed tailor-made for Daniels' strengths as a football player.

NFL.com's pre-draft analysis praised his "outstanding length and athleticism" but that he "lagged behind in instincts/fundamentals." Daniels was viewed as a late-round pick due in large part to his lack of "eye trust and trigger with timing."

The fortunate thing for Daniels is that his status as a raw prospect may be helped by his one-year at Oklahoma. He will likely be placed in similar positions in the NFL as he was at OU, so it makes sense that he is still learning to use his instincts.

OU will look to Reggie Powers III to take on the cheetah mantle in 2026. He will be backed-up by Jeremiah Newcombe as well as transfer linebacker Cole Sullivan, who Jim Nagy and Venables revealed they view in similar standing as Daniels.

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