Tag: Brent Veanbles

Danny Stutsman earns Consensus All-American honors

Oklahoma Sooners linebacker Danny Stutsman named a Consensus All-American by the NCAA.

Oklahoma Sooners senior inside linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] has officially been named a consensus All-American as selected by the NCAA.

To be selected, a player must be a first-team honoree by at least two of the following five All-America teams: American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press (AP), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and Walter Camp Foundation.

Stutsman received first- or second-team All-America recognition from each of the five selectors recognized by the NCAA. He was named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation and the AFCA last week and was listed on the All-America second teams by the AP, FWAA and Sporting News this week. He was also a finalist for the Butkus Award and was a first-team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and media.

It’s been four remarkable years of growth, effort, and leadership from Stutsman in Norman, one of the players who decided to stick around for head coach [autotag]Brent Veanbles[/autotag] when Lincoln Riley and Alex Grinch left for Southern California. He improved each year, eventually becoming one of the best players in the country in his final season of college football.

Stutsman became OU’s 83rd consensus All-American and was the first selection wide receiver CeeDee Lamb earned the honor in 2019. Stutsman is also the first Sooners linebacker to receive consensus All-American honors Curtis Lofton in 2007. He’s the ninth linebacker in school history to be named a consensus All-American (four players received the honor twice, so OU has garnered a total of 13 honors).

Oklahoma ranks sixth nationally among FBS programs with 83 all-time consensus All-Americans, and OU’s 81 consensus All-Americans since 1950 lead the nation. Since 2000, OU has produced 31 consensus All-Americans, tied for second with Ohio State behind Alabama.

Stutsman started all 12 games at middle linebacker this season and ranked fourth in the SEC and 24th nationally with his team-high 109 total tackles. He also ranked fourth in the SEC and 22nd nationally, averaging 9.1 tackles per game. He has added 8.0 tackles for loss, one sack and three QB hurries to his ledger this season.

The senior played in 47 career games for the Sooners and started each of his last 37. He totaled 376 career tackles to rank ninth in Oklahoma history. He is tied for fifth among OU inside linebackers with his 36.0 career tackles for loss. He also recorded 8.0 career sacks and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. With 109 tackles in 2024, Stutsman registered triple-digit tackles in three consecutive seasons.

His final performance on Owen Field may have been his best. Stutsman willed his team to a shocking upset victory against Alabama, shutting down QB Jalen Milroe with a relentless defensive performance.

Stutsman won’t play in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces bowl next week when Oklahoma takes on Navy, as he is preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft. However, his time in Norman certainly won’t soon be forgotten.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.

Clemson makes Hartman, Wake Forest ‘uncomfortable’ in strong defensive showing

The word used the most in Clemson’s defensive postgame press conference? Uncomfortable. That was Clemson’s goal coming into Saturday’s game. And even though Sam Hartman threw for over 300 yards, the Tigers rattled Wake’s redshirt sophomore …

The word used the most in Clemson’s defensive postgame press conference? Uncomfortable.

That was Clemson’s goal coming into Saturday’s game. And even though Sam Hartman threw for over 300 yards, the Tigers rattled Wake’s redshirt sophomore quarterback. In the ground game, Hartman was credited with 14 rushing attempts and -37 yards.

Clemson set the tone early. The Tigers recorded a season-high seven sacks, including four in the first quarter. The first play from scrimmage was a sack.

Clemson’s seven sacks were its most in a game since recording eight sacks at Syracuse in 2019.

“Obviously you want to affect the quarterback and we were able to get a lot of pushback and guys were winning one on ones,” Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said following Clemson’s 48-27 win over Wake Forest. “We wanted to start faster. They have a very rhythmic offense. They’ve had great, great success…you go on the road, you’re playing in a hostile environment and you make them uncomfortable early. That affects them to some degree.”

It certainly affected Hartman, who took an absolute beating all afternoon.

“A big thing we wanted to do this week was making sure he was uncomfortable in the pocket,” Etinosa Reuben told reporters. “He’s had a really great season throwing the ball and making plays, so that was one thing we wanted to do, make sure he was uncomfortable and that he was never able to set his feet and get a good throw off. I feel like we did a good job doing that.”

The redshirt sophomore defensive tackle recorded his first career full sack in the first quarter. He finished the game with a career-high two sacks.

“The way we conduct our defense, we do so many unique things in so many different ways that it’s hard to know where things are going to be coming from,” he said. “So, it’s like you’re always guessing if you’re on offense.”

Wake Forest’s mesh concept often keeps opposing defenses guessing, but Venables had his defense prepared and ready to go. The defense forced three turnovers on the afternoon and held the Deacs to just 36 rushing yards on 31 carries. 

While it wasn’t Clemson’s most complete defensive effort of the season, it’s the one they needed to have against one of the nation’s most potent scoring attacks.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

New York ATH’s relationship with Venables, Reed ‘getting stronger’ each day

Moussa Kane has been feeling the love from Clemson and its coaches over the past month. The Clemson Insider checked back in with the talented New York athlete, who plays for Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) regarding what he’s been hearing from …

Moussa Kane has been feeling the love from Clemson and its coaches over the past month.

The Clemson Insider checked back in with the talented New York athlete, who plays for Blair Academy (Blairstown, N.J.) regarding what he’s been hearing from Brent Venables and Mike Reed since they’ve been able to contact him directly.

“I’ve been mainly talking to Coach Venables and Coach Reed,” Kane told TCI. “They send me a lot of graphics and stuff. Sometimes, they ask me how I’m playing or like how I feel before going into a game. We’ve just been chatting it up a little bit.”

How has Kane’s relationship with Clemson’s defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach, respectively, progressed since Sept. 1?

“It’s been getting stronger day by day,” Kane said. “I really like both Coach Venables and Coach Reed. They’re really good people.”

Kane said he was planning on getting to a game down in The Valley, but one of his bye weeks at Blair Academy is about to get flipped. He’s not sure how that will work itself out, but he’s hopeful he can get to a game sometime this fall.

What’s it about Clemson that has just stood out to Kane so far?

“That day I was there, I was with big-time coaches, Coach Venables and Coach Reed,” he said. “I was with high-end guys the whole day. They were taking the whole day, just talking with me, while I’m in the room with the No. 1 receiver in the nation, Brandon Inniss. A bunch of high-end dudes and he’s spending his time talking with me. At that point, I was like a no star.”

Since that point, Kane has seen his recruitment take off. After receiving the coveted Clemson offer, he picked up offers from Rutgers, Penn State, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Pitt, Ole Miss and Temple.

“It means a lot because they had faith in me,” Kane said regarding his recruitment taking off, following being offered by Clemson. “They were one of the first places that had faith in me, thinking that I could really play at that high-end level.”

Kane has been on one other game-day visit this season. He was in attendance for Penn State’s 38-17 win over Villanova in Happy Valley on Saturday, Sept. 25.

“I’m really just focused on winning right now,” he added. “I’m gonna handle all the recruiting stuff after the season.”

This is Kane’s first time playing in two years.

“All I want to do is be out there and fly around to the ball,” Kane said. “I think I’ve been doing that pretty well, always around the ball when I’m on defense, getting the ball in my hands when I’m on offense, and making plays.”

Kane is 90% sure he’s going to play cornerback in college. 

While he’s usually playing his games at Blair Academy around the same time Clemson kicks off on Saturdays, Kane has had a chance to catch some highlights of the Tigers defensively.

“From the clips I’ve seen, I see that their linebackers are really physical,” he said. “Their whole defense is excellent. Their corners are physical and really know how to play the ball.”

Kane ranks as the No. 24 athlete and No. 7 overall prospect in the state of New Jersey in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!