Kendal Daniels Narrows Field to Final Four Schools
Since arriving in Norman, Alex Grinch has put particular emphasis on recruiting lengthy, athletic defensive backs to fit his Speed D vision.
With that in mind, he'd do well to keep Kendal Daniels in the Sooner State. And as of today, he's officially one step closer to doing just that.
Daniels, the rangy 6-foot-4 safety from Beggs, announced his top four schools on Sunday afternoon, placing the Sooners alongside Clemson, LSU, and Texas A&M. Thus, he will eschew offers from SEC powerhouses Alabama, Auburn and Georgia, among a myriad of other elite programs chasing his commitment.
According to 247Sports, Daniels is the top uncommitted prospect in the state for the class of 2021. The four-star phenom is a standout in basketball as well as football, and has held an offer from Oklahoma since June 13 of last year.
The Sooners will have to fight off a familiar face to keep Daniels local, though. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who served on Oklahoma's defensive staff from 1999 to 2011, is making a hard push to lure Daniels to Death Valley. While many consider Oklahoma to be the frontrunner for Daniels' commitment, it's by no means a given that he ends up in the crimson and cream.
However, Grinch and company have already secured a commitment from Ethan Downs, a four-star defensive end who ranks as the state's top recruit in the class of 2021. He and Daniels are widely considered to be the cream of the crop among Oklahoma prep defenders. If the Sooners manage to land Daniels and Union defensive back A.J. Green, it would make for as clean a sweep of in-state defensive recruiting as possible.
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