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Why Oklahoma WR Signee KJ Daniels Says Signing With OU Was ‘A Dream Come True’

One of the Sooners’ first pledges in the 2024 recruiting class, speedy wide receiver KJ Daniels says he’s ready to compete for a spot on in OU’s wide receiver rotation.

Randall Sweet

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According to 3-star wide receiver KJ Daniels, he knew on his first visit to Norman that he wanted to be at Oklahoma.

After a long conversation with Sooners’ head coach Brent Venables, Daniels had made his decision, saying that he knew he wanted to play under the former Clemson defensive coordinator.

The head ball coach's charisma, and a poker chip, helped solidify the Sooners’ third pledge of the 2024 recruiting cycle back in April.

“The main part was … Coach V invited me to his office and we were talking and he gave me a coin, like a poker (chip), and he was like, ‘Cash it in’ and then we had a long talk and that really had my interest there, and I was just like, ‘I want to play for Brent Venables,’ for sure.’ ”

Since committing, a handful of other wide receivers have joined Daniels in the Sooners’ 2024 class, including Daniels’ future roommate, fellow speedster Zion Ragins.

Despite the solid wide receiver depth on the roster and the group of talented recruits set to join the team next season, Daniels is ready to compete for a spot in Emmett Jones’ wide receiver room from day one.

In addition to earning his place in the position group, Daniels also said he wants to put on a few more pounds before he finally gets to suit up for OU. Listed at 150 pounds, the track star will need to pack on a little more weight to be able to play against some of the big, physical defensive backs in the SEC.

“I’m really just coming to compete my freshman season, and I want to play, so I’m coming hard for sure," Daniels told AllSooners. "I want to just put on a few more pounds and just get a little stronger”

If Daniels is able to get on the field in his first year with the program, it will be in large part due to his speed. The 5-foot-10 wideout has run the 100-meter dash in less than 11 seconds with his play speed being evident on film.

Daniels knows where his strengths lie as well, comparing himself to a current NFL star and another former Sooner wideout.

“I’d say I play like Tank Dell and Hollywood (Brown) when he was (at Oklahoma),” Daniels said.

If the Franklinton, LA, product is the big-play threat that Jones and company expect him to be, Daniels will likely earn reps in the Brenan Thompson role early in his career at OU. Thompson, who transferred to Oklahoma after spending a year with the Longhorns, caught five passes for 158 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore, as he was used mostly as a big-play threat deep down the field.

With Daniels’ speed, the dynamic playmaker could be used in a similar capacity, or as a return man. With Seth Littrell calling plays next season, however, it will be interesting to see how the role of a deep threat wide receiver changes in the OU offense.

Daniels also mentioned that he is excited to get the opportunity to play with Oklahoma’s 2024 quarterback signees Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg.

Being a deep-ball wideout, Daniels is confident that both Hawkins and Zurbrugg will be able to hit him down the field.

“It’s amazing, they’re really good, they’re some really good quarterbacks, like top tier,” Daniels said. “I’ve never really experienced a quarterback, like, that good. So, I’m ready for it. I know they can get it to me too, with ease.”

As the Sooners head into the SEC, Daniels provides the team another vertical threat who can stretch defenses and help open up running lanes. With former 5-star recruit Jackson Arnold ready to take over as Oklahoma’s QB, OU should be prepared to let the ball fly downfield to take advantage of Arnold’s impressive arm strength.

Daniels will certainly be able to help, as he adds another talented, vertical playmaker to the Sooners’ offense.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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