As Sooners Land Damond Harmon, Beggs DB Phenom Kendal Daniels Commits to Texas A&M
NOTE: This story has been changed to reflect Kendal Daniels' quote in The Oklahoman that Oklahoma had withdrawn its scholarship offer.
It's not often that Oklahoma fails to bring premier in-state talent to Norman.
So when a highly regarded prospect from the Sooner State slips out of state, it's usually big news.
Four-star Beggs safety Kendal Daniels committed to Texas A&M Saturday, and in any other year, Sooner Nation would be well justified in sounding the alarm. But among this 2021 recruiting cycle, Oklahoma's failure to bring in Daniels is hardly a death knell.
After all, Oklahoma has longstanding verbal pledges from 4-star defensive backs Jordan Mukes and Latrell McCutchin, and landed 3-star corner Damond Harmon earlier Saturday evening. Also on the Sooners' wish list is top junior-college cornerback Khyree Jackson, who is set to commit on Aug. 15.
A month ago, Daniels' decision would seem more surprising, if for no other reason than the fact that he chose the Aggies over Oklahoma, Clemson and LSU.
But Daniels' relationship with OU cooled off in July as Alex Grinch and Roy Manning pursued other defensive backs. He told The Oklahoman on Saturday that he wanted to be a Sooner but OU withdrew its offer "about 10 days ago," so he chose Texas A&M.
Daniels' decision to leave the state has plenty of recent precedent. Owasso's Josh Proctor in 2018 (Ohio State) and Booker T. Washington's Dax Hill in 2019 (Michigan) were top-flight Oklahoma prep DBs who chose to play out of state.
But it's still a sting when the state's top player doesn't fit with the state's top college program.
Daniels is the eighth 4-star prospect to commit to A&M, and joins a recruiting class that includes Denton Guyer quarterback Eli Stowers and cornerback Dreyden Norwood, the state of Arkansas' top recruit.
The Aggies now have 13 total commits in the 2021 circuit, which is Jimbo Fisher's third class at the school.
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