The Oklahoma Sooners’ defense didn’t live up to expectations in 2022. Few people would tell you otherwise. However, there’s optimism the defense will make strides in 2023.
One of the bright spots was the performance of sophomore linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Stutsman, who led the Big 12 in tackles and in Pro Football Focus’ “stops” metric. It was a strong performance for a first-year starter on a defense that struggled in just about every area. Stutsman wasn’t perfect, but as a first-year starter in a new defensive scheme with little depth behind him to give him a breather, Stutsman performed well and is one of the reasons Oklahoma’s defense ought to get better in 2023.
Only three players played more defensive snaps than Stutsman’s 992 in the 2022 season. Each of those players were a defensive back, and none of them played in the Power Five.
That experience was very valuable for Stutsman. And it’s part of the reason that there are high hopes that he can help lead the Sooners’ defensive turnaround.
“He went through it,” OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said during spring ball. “He played as a young guy. He played almost 1,000 snaps last year. That’s a lot. But at the same time, this year, he’s going to be so much better off because of it. And when the young guys are going through the mud, and everybody goes through the mud, but when they’re going through the deep mud, he can say: ‘Hey, I’ve been there, this what it’s going to look like if you keep doing this, this and this.’ And as a peer and as a guy that young guys see as a leader, that means a lot.”
Oklahoma made considerable moves to upgrade the talent on the defensive side of the ball via the transfer portal and in their 2023 recruiting class. However, don’t sleep on the progression of some of the returning players like Stutsman. For Oklahoma to take steps to return to defensive prominence, Stutsman will have to lead the way.
In his third year in the program, the former four-star linebacker has taken on a leadership role in the program.
“As a veteran now, I’ve got to keep making strides in a leadership role,” Stutsman said during the spring. “Sometimes I was quiet. I’ve got to improve upon that. That’s just self-growth. I’m ready to recognize that and ready to keep making strides for this team. I’m just ready to go.”
The Sooners are inexperienced at linebacker beyond Stutsman. But they’re banking on his leadership and experience to help bring along a young and talented group of players.
There’s excitement about [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and 2023 signees [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag], [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] and [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag].
But while there’s intrigue about the young linebacker corps, it’s going to be Stutsman who leads the turnaround.
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