After posting back-to-back All-American caliber seasons, the Oklahoma football program will be out one of their top defenders next season. Per SooneerScoop.com, Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman will forgo his senior season and enter the upcoming NFL draft.
Stutsman came to Oklahoma as one of the top linebackers in the class of 2021. He arrived in Norman at the same time as former quarterback Caleb Williams, current New York Giants running back Eric Gray, and standout wideout Jalil Farooq.
LB Danny Stutsman: Shines for HC Brent Venables and Oklahoma Football
Stutsman played his high school football at Foundation Academy in Winter Garden, Florida, as a two-way star before joining then-defensive coordinator Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners. The six-foot-four, 240-pound second-level defender recorded 37 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, two forced fumbles, and one sack as a freshman in 2021.
However, the Sooners transitioned from head coach Lincoln Riley to Venables in 2022, with the latter leaning heavily on Stutsman for production. As a sophomore, he registered 125 tackles, 10.5 TFLs, three sacks, and two interceptions in 13 games. However, as did the Oklahoma defense, Stutsman took another giant leap this season. The linebacker tallied a career-best 16 TFLs, three sacks, and scored a touchdown despite playing in 11 games. Strutsman had nine tackles and 1.5 TFLs in his team’s epic 34-30 win over the Texas Longhorns. The Sooners allowed only 22.2 points per game in 2023 compared to 30.0 in 2022.
Stutsman: NFL Profile and Oklahoma Football LB Depth Chart
Per WalterFootball, Danny Stutsman is the fifth-ranked outside linebacker in the 2024 NFL draft. The draft site lauds Stutsman for being “very athletic, very fast, and very instinctive.” He also ranks high due to his combination of size and speed.
The Oklahoma linebacker group has a bevy of depth, even without Stutsman. The trio of Jaren Kanak, Kip Lewis, and Kobie McKenzie should step up in his absence. Kanak is the clear choice, registering a solid 60 tackles as a sophomore this season. He also had six TFLs and two sacks. Lewis had 59 tackles in 2023, his second with the Sooners. He was a four-star prospect in the class of 2022, per 247Sports. Meanwhile, McKenzie had 22 tackles.
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