Former Florida, Charlotte DB Commits to Oklahoma State
![Florida Gators wide receiver Ja'Quavion Fraziars (0) can't hang onto a pass as Florida Gators safety Mordecai McDaniel (32) breaks up the pass. The Florida Gators scrimmaged in the first half during the annual Orange and Blue spring game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL, Thursday afternoon, April 14, 2022. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2022
Oca Orangeandbluegame](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2346,h_1319,x_0,y_234/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images%2FImagnImages%2Fmmsport%2Fall_pokes%2F01jft1fw721tvtjx215s.jpg "Florida Gators wide receiver Ja'Quavion Fraziars (0) can't hang onto a pass as Florida Gators safety Mordecai McDaniel (32) breaks up the pass. The Florida Gators scrimmaged in the first half during the annual Orange and Blue spring game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL, Thursday afternoon, April 14, 2022. [Doug Engle/Ocala Star Banner]2022
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Oklahoma State continues to add to its secondary through the portal.
On Sunday, the Cowboys earned a commitment from former four-star safety Mordecai McDaniel. Coming to the Cowboys after playing with Charlotte, McDaniel brings plenty of experience and ability to an OSU defense that was among the worst in the country last season.
With Charlotte last season, McDaniel was a consistent contributor for the 49ers. He finished the season with 43 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and three passes defended.
His best stretch came against two of the best teams Charlotte played all season. Against Memphis, McDaniel had 12 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss and broke up a pass. He followed that performance with eight tackles, a sack and another pass breakup against Tulane.
While his numbers didn’t look like that every game, he has shown an ability to step up against solid teams. Considering OSU’s schedule next season, having players who can rise to the level of their competition will be critical to the team’s success.
McDaniel began his career at Florida, where he first crossed paths with OSU’s recently hired defensive coordinator, Todd Grantham. In 2020 and 2021, McDaniel played in 24 games for the Gators and was a solid player.
A four-star out of high school, McDaniel had glimpses of stardom with Florida. In his two seasons there, he accumulated 19 tackles and one interception.
In between his stops at Florida and Charlotte, McDaniel spent two seasons at Iowa Western CC. Following three seasons away from the top level of college football, McDaniel looks ready to make an impact at the power conference level again.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.