Oklahoma Coach Lincoln Riley Unable to Update LB Danny Stutsman's Injury Status

The true freshman linebacker led the Sooners in tackles against Western Carolina before leaving the game with an injury.

Ryan Chapman | Sep 13, 2021

Freshman linebacker Danny Stutsman made his presence felt on Saturday.

In Oklahoma’s 76-0 victory over the Western Carolina Catamounts inside Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Stutsman led the way for OU with eight tackles.

Unfortunately, his evening was cut short as he had to be helped off the field while the training staff appeared to be looking at his left arm after Stutsman got involved on a tackle late in the second half.

On Monday, Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley was unable to give an update on the injury during his portion of the Big 12 Coaches Teleconference.

“We just got in here this morning, so I hadn’t gotten anything definitive yet,” Riley said.

Stutsman offered his own update of sorts after the game on Twitter Saturday night, saying he had an exam scheduled Sunday, but then quickly took down the post.

Billy Bowman and Woodi Washington also missed some time against Western Carolina, but Riley also said that he didn’t have an update and secondary pair would be monitored throughout the week.

"Gonna have to see how the week progresses with those guys," Riley said. "They're being looked at."

While the inside linebacker spot appears to be one of the deeper spots on the team on paper, Stutsman has forced his way into the rotation early on in the season. The true freshman appeared on the very first drive of the contest against the Catamounts, and continued to feature heavily up until his exit due to the injury.

Riley said after the game that the Sooners aren’t afraid to throw true freshman into the fire if they earn the opportunity during the week, and Stutsman, along with fellow true freshman defensive end Ethan Downs, exhibited that by being handed plenty of opportunities on Saturday night.

“He’s a smart, smart player,” Riley said. “He’s done a good job picking up our scheme and he’s given us confidence in that he knows what to do. He’s still making a few mistakes but the guy plays really, he plays full speed and he can really run. Plays physical, plays downhill, so I like his mentality as a young guy.”

Sooners fans will likely get their next look at Downs this week as an old rivalry is renewed against the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Kickoff from Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on FOX.

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Published Sep 13, 2021

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.