Why Oklahoma State LB Kendal Daniels has been 'fun to watch' for coach Mike Gundy
Scott WrightThe Oklahoman
STILLWATER — As he reviews his team’s first three games of the season, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy sees the week-by-week growth of Kendal Daniels.
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt junior is in his first season at linebacker after three as a safety, so Daniels is experiencing challenges he’s never faced before.
“It’s fun to watch him, because he’s one of those guys you can see get better each week, just from experience,” Gundy said. “There’s a lot of repetition and learning that takes place in that position. He’s never seen it before this.”
In spring and preseason, the idea of Daniels shifting to linebacker generated excitement.
Now, with the loss of edge rusher Collin Oliver, Daniels’ presence in the front seven has become even more important.
In Saturday’s 45-10 win over Tulsa, Daniels played a more significant portion of his snaps on the interior of the formation, rather than toward the edge, and that’s an area where his physicality can benefit a defense that is missing one of its most dynamic playmakers.
And with a physical, run-heavy opponent awaiting this week when the No. 15 Cowboys host No. 10 Utah at 3 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium, Daniels will again find himself in the middle of the action.
“I love linebacker,” Daniels said. “I love Coach Joe Bob (Clements). I love that they invested in me and they helped me along the way that I’ve been going, and they worked hard on me.
“I mess up sometimes. Everybody’s human, but it’s a learning experience. I’m learning. I’m getting better. I go, I work hard. Guys like Jeff Roberson and Nick Martin, they make it even easier just because those guys help me. They come off to the sideline, if I see something or if they see it, we’re just talking to each other, going back and forth.”
Daniels is playing fewer snaps this year than last — 149 of 230 through three games — but he’s still tied for third on the team in tackles with 12, including 1.5 for loss, to go with four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. He got his first sack last week as well.
The week before against Arkansas, he came up with two big stops, including a fourth-and-1 play in the second overtime that clinched the Cowboy victory.
Without Oliver, who was a true hybrid player because of his abilities to be a traditional linebacker or a pure rush end, the Cowboys’ defensive front is taking on a different look.
Oliver’s skillset isn’t something that can be easily replicated, so the Cowboys have to adjust the scheme in filling his void.
“It’s gonna take everybody playing well to overcome the deficiency you have with his ability to pressure the quarterback,” Gundy said. “You don’t really overcome and make up for a guy like that, but this is the best method to try and get as close as we can.”
Utah will use frequent two-tight end sets, so Daniels’ ability to play in run support or pass coverage will increase his value.
“We play him out over the tight end some, but we move him inside quite a bit,” Gundy said.
According to Pro Football Focus analytics, Daniels has been in coverage on 83 of his 149 snaps this season, or just under 56% of his total plays, though that percentage could begin to decrease going forward.
“If we had all of our guys, he would play out over the tight end more,” Gundy said. “But we’re not at that point right now.”
Martin remains the stalwart figure in the middle of the defense, and at outside linebacker, Roberson has seen an increase in playing time, responding with 10 tackles and a sack through three games.
Although the three-man linebacker group consists of two new players, their confidence continues to rise.
“We just all want to succeed as a linebacker room,” Daniels said. “We want everybody to fear us. We just want people to be like, ‘That linebacker room, it don’t matter who it is, it don’t matter what down it is, they’re coming and they’re all together. They’re not selfish.’
“Make a play, jump up and down, get off the field.”
