Aggies add Oklahoma's top prospect, safety Kendal Daniels
Colleges nationwide wanted to sign Oklahoma's top player, safety Kendal Daniels, but he'll be heading to College Station as part of Texas A&M's 2021 signing class.
Height/weight: 6-ft-4; 180 LBS
Picked A&M Over: The Rivals250 safety committed to Texas A&M over in-state favorite Oklahoma on Aug. 1. LSU and Clemson were two other finalists for the four-star prospect.
Why A&M:: “I (didn’t) make my decision (based) on what everyone else thinks I should do,” said Daniels. “I’m not blind, I saw the hype.
“It is the right decision,” he said. “it has been a long time coming... The A&M coaches--they recruited me and my mom the most,” said Daniels. “Then my mom and I sat down and talked about it..”
Recruited by: Mike Elko
Message to the 12th Man:: “First I want to thank the man above for putting me in this position. I thank my mom and my pops for being right by my side every step of the way and making me into the young man that I am today. Next I thank all my coaches who believed in from day one...I am 100% committed to Texas A&M University...Go Aggies.” - Kendal Danielshe Rivals250 safety committed to Texas A&M over in-state favorite Oklahoma on Aug. 1. LSU and Clemson were two other finalists for the four-star prospect.
Analysis
Looking at Daniels' film -- he's huge. He's got enough speed to be a safety, but could certainly be a Rover or Nickel, depending on the situation. He looks like he could certainly be an every-down safety, but he would certainly be a force against the run. He had 115 tackles in 2019, which tells you a lot.
Like I said, he's got enough speed, and he certainly can go sideline-to-sideline. He's got great field awareness and finds the football impressively. His anticipation in pass coverage is extremely good -- one of the best I've seen. He jumps routes and gets in great position to pick off passes (or, on offense, catch them). His leaping ability is also outstanding.
The Aggies have a lot of fast, athletic safeties, but Daniels is a little different. He's taller than any other safety on the roster and has plenty of room to grow. He could be a 220-pound safety or could possibly spin down. But the most important thing is the guy knows how to find the football and get the ballcarrier on the ground. That's an invaluable asset that is hard to teach.
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