The Oklahoma Sooners are off to an incredible start to the 2023 college football season on both sides of the ball. The biggest jump has been on defense
The Sooners ranked No. 122 last season, and this year, they’ve moved up to No. 50. A big part of that has been the jump [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] has made.
Stutsman has 58 tackles, 10.5 for loss, two sacks, and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. Stutsman’s 58 tackles rank No. 16 in the nation. His 10.5 tackles for loss rank No. 5 in the nation. He leads the Big 12 in tackles and tackles for loss.
His performance this year has him square in the race for the [autotag]Butkus Award[/autotag] given to the nation’s top linebacker and also has him in the running for a consensus All-American selection.
[autotag]Pro Football Focus[/autotag] put together their midseason all-prospect team and Stutsman was one of two linebackers selected to the squad.
PFF’s Midseason All-Prospect Team: Defense♨️
(Via: @TampaBayTre) pic.twitter.com/vZODai82RO
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 12, 2023
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a player on the defensive side of the ball play at the level he’s been playing at this season. It’s attributed to the work Stutsman has put in and the coaching job of [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]. Stutsman has transformed into one of the best leaders on the team.
But we are just halfway through the season, and you don’t get any awards for performing well up to this point. Something tells me Stutsman isn’t someone who will rest on his laurels the rest of the way.
With the way he’s playing, he’s on track to be a top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL draft. The hope is he’ll hang around for one more season in Norman as the Sooners make their transition to the SEC. His toughness, physicality, leadership and performance will be difficult to replace.
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