How Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman is Growing on and Off the Field This Spring

After leading the Big 12 in tackles in 2022, Danny Stutsman hopes to lead OU's defense both between the lines and in the locker room.

NORMAN — Danny Stutsman has already been front and center for Oklahoma in 2023.

The charismatic junior linebacker was the only returning player in the mix in February when the Sooners introduced all of the new transfers and freshmen early enrollees to the media — but not as the subject of any interviews.

Instead, Stutsman was asking the questions, pumping out lighthearted social media content for the team.

But as spring practice started on Tuesday, Stutsman had his game face on.

From the start of practice, Stutsman was one of the vocal leaders while the team stretched, and he didn’t fade into the background once the work on the practice field got into full swing.

Leading a young group of linebackers, Stutsman continued to make his presence felt, ensuring his teammates were taking the right approach to every single rep.

Finding his voice on the field was a goal of Stutsman’s this offseason, a sign of his continued growth within the program.

“As a veteran now, I've got to keep making strides in a leadership role,” he said on Tuesday. “Sometimes I was quiet. I've got to approve upon that. That's just self growth. I'm ready to recognize that and ready to keep making strides for this team.”

Stutsman’s play on the field last year gave him plenty of experience that he can pass on to his younger teammates like Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie and Kip Lewis in the linebacker room.

As a sophomore, he led the Big 12 with 126 total tackles, playing nearly every meaningful snap at the heart of the Oklahoma defense.

“He went through it,” OU defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “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.”

The work necessary for the Sooners to take a step forward defensively isn’t going to be easy.

Stutsman knows that, and he’s been passing that message along to the younger guys stepping into the defense.

“It's going to be hard,” he said. “Spring football is not easy. Just keep your head up and keep taking those steps forward.”

Leadership isn’t the only area Stutsman hopes to improve on this spring.

Stutsman got better as the year went on, and his production saw an uptick as a result.

But this spring offers another opportunity to become more well-rounded as a linebacker working under Brent Venables and Roof.

“The effort was there (last year), but I think there's a lot more technique and a lot more fundamentals that I need to improve upon,” Stutsman said. “Me and Coach Venables are watching film and we're always improving. We know I had an alright season, but there's a lot more I can do.”

The goal of the entire defense is to take a major step forward in Year Two under Venables, and Stutsman’s play in the middle will be at the heart of those improvements.

It’s a long road until the Sooners kickoff the 2023 campaign against Arkansas State, but winter workouts and the first practice on Tuesday were steps in the right direction for Stutsman to lead his unit on and off the field.

“Knowledge is power,” Roof said. “And last year, his game went (up). It really elevated and part of that is he understood things more and got more comfortable.

“Part of it — the reason is he put so much time in. His level of commitment. And I've seen a lot of growth and a lot of improvement, and still need a lot more from him in that. But he's capable of that.

“And I know that he wants to be in that (leadership) role for this football team. He's working to get better day to day and we're trying to help him as coaches.”

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