Why KJ Daniels, an Oklahoma wide receiver, says joining OU was “a dream come true”
Three-star wide receiver KJ Daniels claims that he knew he wanted to attend Oklahoma on his very first trip to Norman. Daniels said he had made up his mind to play for the Sooners under head coach Brent Venables, a former defensive coordinator at Clemson, after a lengthy discussion with the coach. In April of last year, the Sooners secured their third commitment of the 2024 recruiting cycle thanks to the charisma of their head ball coach and a poker chip.
The main thing was that Coach V invited me to his office, where we had a lengthy conversation and he gave me a coin, similar to a poker coin, saying, “Cash it in.” That really piqued my interest, and I immediately said, “I want to play for Brent Venables.” A few other wide receivers, including Daniels’ future roommate and fellow speedster Zion Ragins, have committed and joined Daniels in the Sooners’ 2024 class.
Daniels is prepared to compete for a spot in Emmett Jones’ wide receiver room from day one, despite the team having a strong depth of wide receivers on the roster and a group of talented recruits scheduled to join the team next season.
Daniels stated that he wants to gain a few more pounds before he can suit up for OU in addition to earning his spot in the position group. The track star, who is listed at 150 pounds, will have to gain a little more weight in order to compete against some of the SEC’s larger, stronger defensive backs. Daniels told AllSooners, “I’m really just coming to compete my freshman season, and I want to play, so I’m coming hard for sure.” “I just want to gain a little bit of muscle and gain a few more pounds.”
Daniels’ speed will play a big part in whether or not he is able to play in his first year of the program. Observing the exceptional pass catcher on film, one can observe that the 5-foot-10 wide receiver has a play speed of less than 11 seconds when running the 100-meter dash.
Daniels, who contrasts himself with a current NFL star and another former Sooner wide receiver, is aware of his strengths as well. Daniels told AllSooners, “I would say that I play like Tank Dell and Hollywood (Brown) when he was (at Oklahoma).”
The Franklinton, Louisiana, prospect will probably get reps in the Brenan Thompson role early in his OU career if Jones and company believe he can be a big-play threat. After one season with the Longhorns, Thompson transferred to Oklahoma. As a sophomore, he caught five passes for 158 yards and one touchdown, mostly being used as a big play threat down the field.
Daniels, a dynamic playmaker, could be used as a return man or in a similar role given his speed. But it will be interesting to see how the OU offense uses deep threat wide receivers differently with Seth Littrell calling plays next season. Daniels added that he has never played with a passer of the caliber of the aforementioned signal callers and expressed his excitement about the chance to play with Oklahoma’s 2024 quarterback signees, Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg.
Daniels is certain that Zurbrugg and Hawkins will be able to hit him down the field because he is a deep-ball wideout.
Daniels exclaimed, “It’s amazing, they’re really good, some really good quarterbacks, like top tier.” “I’ve never actually played with a quarterback that good. I’m prepared for it, then. I’m sure they could easily do it to me as well.
Daniels gives the Sooners another vertical threat going into the SEC that can help stretch defenses and create more lanes for the running game. Jackson Arnold, a former 5-star recruit, is poised to take over as Oklahoma’s quarterback. OU should be ready to release the ball downfield in order to capitalize on Arnold’s powerful arms. Daniels gives the Sooners’ offense another gifted vertical playmaker, so he will undoubtedly be able to assist.
