The Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff saw flashes from [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] last year. Stutsman led the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] in tackles but still had room to improve as a player.
The talk this offseason has been about how he’s grown as a leader of the defense. With Oklahoma 2-0, the Sooners allowing just 5.5 points per game, and with Stutsman at the center of the defense’s performance, now the talk is about how he has been performing on the field.
He was all over the field and wasn’t fooled by any of the trick plays the SMU Mustangs threw at him. In fact, his 17 tackles were more than the next two Sooners combined.
Stutsman told reporters on Monday, he didn’t realize how many tackles he had.
“I just play the game,” Stutsman said. “I see ball, get ball. It is what it is. I fly around. It’s just what I do.”
After his performance, Stutsman was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. But he said he doesn’t care about the awards.
“At the end of the day, I’m here to win games, not win awards,” Stutsman said. “As long as we go 1-0 that week, I’ll be happy.”
It’s clear Stutsman has taken a step this year. You can tell just the way he talks in interviews there’s a different level of confidence coming from him. That confidence has spread to his defensive teammates.
If the Oklahoma Sooners to get back into title contention in 2023, Danny Stutsman will be at the tip of the spear.
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