Oklahoma's 'Invested' Young Linebackers Round Out a Talented Unit The Behind Danny Stutsman

The maturation of Brent Venables' linebackers throughout the offseason will give the No. 16-ranked Sooners a deep, well-rounded group to anchor the defense in 2024.

Samuel Omosigho (24) runs drills during an OU football practice in Norman, Okla., on Monday, Aug. 7, 2023. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

NORMAN — There’s no mistaking who is leading Oklahoma’s linebacker room into the SEC. 

Danny Stutsman deservedly enters the year with Preseason All-American and Butkus Award hype, but the growth of the young guys around him will be instrumental in getting even more production out of Brent Venables’ linebackers in 2024. 

“[It’s] a group that's really growing up in the system, and that's ideal,” Venables said during his weekly press conference on Monday. 

That’s great news for the Sooners, who will likely lean on their defense as Jackson Arnold and the new-look OU offense get fully online. 

Last year Stutsman started the first half of the year alongside then-sophomore Jaren Kanak. 

Stutsman paced the team with 104 total tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, three quarterback sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles. 

Kanak ended the year fourth on the team with 62 total tackles, but he made way for Kip Lewis in the back half of the year. 

Lewis came alive during OU’s 34-30 victory over Texas, and despite taking half the year to nail down a starting spot he ended the season second on the team with 66 tackles. 

After another offseason, Lewis has put on more weight and is ready to take on an even larger role on the defense, but he won’t have to do it alone. 

Kanak is still fighting for snaps alongside redshirt sophomore Kobie McKinzie, and sophomore Lewis Carter made great progress during spring football and fall camp. 

Oklahoma's Sam Franklin is brought down by Reggie Powers III (13) and Lewis Carter (20) during the 2024 Red/White Game. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Venables and new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Zac Alley hope the entire unit will be able to produce at a high level, ensuring the wear and tear on Stutsman and Lewis is manageable.

“Really excited about the depth there,” Venables said. “… We're going to play a lot of guys. We got a lot of good players there. So I'm really excited to watch that group."

Utilizing the full rotation is the plan coming into the year, and it became important during a key stretch of OU’s season in 2023. 

Stutsman sustained an ankle injury just before halftime against Kansas, keeping the star linebacker from playing in the second half of the defeat in Lawrence and he missed the entirety of Bedlam.

Lewis, McKinzie and Kanak were all trust into larger roles across those six quarters, something the Sooners will be much better equipped for in 2024. 

And now Carter is ready to enter the mix after taking a mental leap during his second offseason in Norman. 

“When he came in here, that’s a guy that just kind of played off instinct,” Stutsman said on Monday. “Him and Kip as well. Kip being more of a faster guy… Lewis just being a strong guy. Really good in the box but still has that speed. The ability that he’s had to kind of learn the defense and kind of play within the system, make plays for himself, has been phenomenal. 

“I remember when Lewis didn’t know anything, both of them. And now from where they’ve come, it’s awesome. Being an older guy, really seeing that growth it really makes you proud.”

The inside linebackers aren’t the only ones who took mental leaps, either. 

When he committed to Oklahoma, Samuel Omosigho projected as a guy who could thrive in space and play sideline-to-sideline. 

He’s worked at Venables’ hybrid cheetah linebacker spot with defensive back Kendel Dolby throughout the offseason, and he earned the backup spot behind Dolby on the first depth chart of the year. 

The former 4-star recruit only logged seven total tackles as a true freshman, but Dolby said he’s prepared to add another element to the defense as a sophomore. 

“He's looked really different,” Dolby said on Monday. “I feel like, you know, coming back, I feel like now that I know the position, I feel like it's my job to teach him more and I feel like he's really been willing to learn as a young guy and he's definitely going to make a splash this year for sure.”

Oklahoma’s defense will be tested all year long. 

Plenty of talented quarterbacks lie ahead of the Sooners on the schedule this year, but Venables is happy with the state of his linebacker room as they begin to prepare Year 3 under the defensive mastermind on Friday against Temple. 

“We're long, we're fast, I think were instinctive,” Venables said. “It's a group of guys that are in heavily invested. They put in a tremendous amount of time, off the field working on their craft. And they do it together. That's my favorite thing.”