For much of the Oklahoma Sooners’ defense, it’s been a work in progress. Whether you evaluate the unit by position group or individually, this defense is by no means a finished product.
With two games remaining, much of what will happen with the remainder of 2022 will be about building to the future. While it’s been a roller coaster ride, there are a few players trending up over the last several weeks that provide some optimism for what the future of this defense can look like.
In his first year starting for the Oklahoma Sooners, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] has had some good games, but in recent weeks has begun to take his game to another level. He’s making an impact in the run game and in coverage for the Oklahoma Sooners and leads the Big 12 in tackles per game.
Over the last five games, Stutsman’s collected 49 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and two interceptions. His interception at the end of the Iowa State game helped seal the win, while his pick on West Virginia’s opening drive provided the offense with some strong field position.
“I know some people think he stinks, but I’m pretty proud of him,” [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said in his weekly press conference. “He’s gotten better. And like all growth patterns for young players, there’s gonna be some ebbs and flows. But I’m telling you, he’s on his way to being an outstanding player. So, I think Danny’s maybe top 30 in the country as well. So, he’s finding the football.:”
From the spring to the final weeks of his sophomore season, Brent Venables has seen the effort that Stutsman’s put into improving as a player. “He’s getting better. He’s really hard on himself, a great worker. He’s investing a lot of time into his craft, into this team, and takes accountability when it’s not good. So, he’s easy to coach. You know, he’s playing with more and more confidence.”
With the depth at linebacker so young, there aren’t options that the coaching staff feels it can put on the field to spell Stutsman, especially in a tight ball game. He’s eighth in the nation among linebackers in snaps played and eighth in tackles. While he’s been an iron man for the Sooners, Oklahoma needs to develop depth behind him so he’s not forced to play as much as he has in 2022.
“And we’ve got to develop depth,” Venables said about the linebacker spot. “And if we were a little more detailed with some of our young guys, he wouldn’t have to play as much. So, as you know, I think he played 90 snaps last week. That’s plus, give or take, six to eight special teams snaps. So, late in the game, he’s not going to be nearly as strong and good as he would be early in the game.”
There’s a lot of hope for a guy like [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] to be a difference-maker for the Sooners’ defense. He’s flashed some of that ability, but it’s been up and down over the course of the season. As 2022 comes to a close with the 2023 offseason right around the corner, Stutsman will be a key component for the Sooners defense in 2023.
David Ugwoegbu and DaShaun White are gone, leaving Stutsman as the leader of the linebacker room. With departures expected at every level of the defense, his development will be a huge factor in the growth of the Sooners’ defense in year two of the Brent Venables era. And from what Venables has seen, he’s doing what it takes to become a great player.
“But he’s got great awareness,” Venables shared. “For you to create change, you’ve got to have awareness, and then you’ve got to have self-accountability and then, again, the action. And he’s putting in the work. So, I’m really proud of him and the improvement that he’s made. And he’s still got a long ways to go, is the way I would say it. He knows that. But he’s made tremendous improvement from where we started in spring football.”
As Oklahoma continues to seek that elusive sixth win and bowl eligibility, Danny Stutsman will be a big part of the Sooners’ success. This week against a banged-up, but still dangerous Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma will need their emerging star at linebacker to be at his best to contain Oklahoma State’s athletic quarterback.
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