Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman Named Semifinalist for Butkus Award

The Sooners' senior linebacker returned to college for his final season and has had another season of leading an improved OU defense.

Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

By OU Media Relations

NORMAN — University of Oklahoma senior linebacker Danny Stutsman has been named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which is presented to the nation’s best linebacker, the Butkus Foundation announced Monday.

Stutsman is one of 15 players nationally, including six from the SEC, named on the list of semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which is named for late National Football Foundation and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus.

A fourth-year player from Windermere, FL, Stutsman has started all nine contests at middle linebacker and ranks third in the SEC and tied for 18th nationally with his team-high 77 total tackles. He also ranks fourth in the SEC and 32nd nationally by averaging 8.6 tackles per game. He is tied for the team lead with 7.5 tackles for loss and has tallied one sack and three QB hurries this season. He has led the Sooners in tackles six times this season and has registered double-digit tackles in three games.

"This is an easy one to celebrate because of everything he's invested in this program and in his teammates, certainly in his opportunity," head coach Brent Venables said Monday night during his weekly coach's show. "He's worked incredibly hard for it. ... I haven't talked to him about it. It was announced after we started practice today. But, you know, he's a guy that's incredibly humble. He's a confident guy, but he's very humble, and he knows it'll be a credit for, because all the guys around him to help him be recognized in that company. But Danny's focused on getting wins and in helping the defense and his teammates (and) the whole locker room play at a high level."

Stutsman was named a midseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports and the Senior Bowl, and was recognized as a midseason second-team All-American by The Athletic and Athlon Sports.

Stutsman has played in 44 career games and started each of his last 34, totaling 344 career tackles to rank 11th in Oklahoma history (ninth among linebackers). He needs nine stops to tie defensive end Kevin Murphy (1981-85) for 10th most in school annals. His 35.5 career tackles for loss rank him seventh among OU inside linebackers (he needs 1.5 to move into the top four). Stutsman has also totaled 8.0 career sacks and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

Instituted in 1985, the Butkus Award is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community. Since that time, the award has honored the nation’s best high school, college and professional linebackers. An independent Butkus Award selection committee comprised of 51 experts, including professional, college and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists conducts the selection process each year.

The selection process for the award emphasizes qualities that defined Butkus’ career: toughness, on-field leadership, competitiveness, football character and linebacking skills. The award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.

Butkus Award finalists will be named Nov. 25 and winners will be named by Dec. 10. A Butkus Award celebration is planned Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, where Dick Butkus established his legendary career.

Oklahoma (5-4, 1-4 SEC) plays at Missouri (6-2, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Kickoff is set for 6:45 p.m. on SEC Network.