SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Dante Stills

Ahead of Saturday's Senior Day festivities, take a look back at the career of DL Dante Stills.

Julia Mellett | Nov 18, 2022

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Dante Stills /

Dante Stills (Fairmont, W.Va.) joined the Mountaineer football team as a true freshman in 2018. Following his brother Darius, the younger Stills made a name for himself almost off the jump. He was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic and ESPN.com. By the conclusion of the season, Dante had registered 16 tackles (13 solo) for the year, three sacks, six tackles for loss and a team lead-tying two forced fumbles.

The next season, Stills started three games at defensive end. By sophomore year, Stills was a massive contributor to the defensive push; he lead the team with seven sacks and ended at No. 2 with 11.5 TFLs. His sacks per game (0.58) ranked No. 4 in the Big 12.

2020 brought more of the same for the DE. He was named All-Big 12 Conference First Team (Pro Football Focus & Phil Steele) and All-Big 12 Conference Second Team (AP) after starting all 10 games. Through the aforementioned 10 games, Stills collected 35 tackles (15 solo), one fumble recovery, a blocked kick, and two pass breakups; he saw action on 506 defensive snaps and 42 special teams plays.

Stills' junior season, he had become a force in the Big 12 Conference. He shifted over to defensive tackle, but it didn't change his productivity. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele) and ranked No. 3 in program history in career TFLs (43.5) and tied for No. 6 in sacks (19). His junior stats read 36 tackles (29 solo), seven sacks, 15 TFLs, six quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and an interception.

His fifth year with the Mountaineers, Stills was determined to end his WVU career on a high note. Through 10 games, he has registered 24 tackles (13 solo), nine TFLs for 45 yards, 4.5 sacks for 36 yards, two forced fumbles, a trio of quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, and one blocked kick.

In his Mountaineer career, Stills has 136 tackles (84 solo), 52.5 TFLs for 250 yards, 23.5 sacks for 177 yards, five pass deflections, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

Stills will end his career in the gold and blue as the program's sole TFLs leader.

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2021 (Jr.)

All-Big 12 First Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele)
Sits No. 3 in program history in career TFLs (43.5) and tied for No. 6 in sacks (19)
His 15 tackles for loss in 2021 are tied for No. 10 in single-season team history
Played in 13 games and started 12 at defensive tackle
Finished with 36 tackles, including 29 solo stops, seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one interception
Recorded at least one tackle for loss in 10 of 13 games
Finished at No. 4 in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (1.15)
Ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 in sacks (0.54)
Had four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, against Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl
Had 1.5 tackles for loss against Texas
Tied his season best with four tackles at Kansas State, including the 100th of his career
Had two total tackles against Oklahoma State, one of them for loss
Also tallied his first career interception against the Cowboys
Finished with four tackles against Iowa State, including a sack and forced fumble
Had two tackle for loss and a sack as part of a four-tackle night at TCU
Registered a tackle for loss as one of his two tackles at Baylor
Had a pair of sacks against Texas Tech; finished with four total tackles and three tackles for loss on the day
Lone tackle at Oklahoma was a sack
Tallied a tackle for loss against LIU
Opened the season with three tackles, including a sack, at Maryland

2020 (COVID)

Started all 10 games at defensive end
Saw action on 506 defensive snaps and 42 special teams plays
Season-high 78 plays against Baylor, including 71 defensive snaps
All-Big 12 Conference First Team (Pro Football Focus, Phil Steele)
All-Big 12 Conference Second Team (AP)
Pro Football Focus Honorable Mention All-America
Tied for No. 11 in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (10.5)
Had at least a share of a tackle for loss in nine of 10 games
Finished with 35 tackles, including 15 solo stops, one fumble recovery, a blocked kick and two pass breakups
Capped season with four tackles, including two TFLs against Army in the Liberty Bowl
Made four tackles at Iowa State
Tallied a TFL against TCU
Totaled three tackles at Texas with a shared TFL and a pass breakup
Recorded a sack as part of a three-tackle day against Kansas State
Big day at Texas Tech included a career-high seven tackles, including two TFLs and a sack
Also tallied his first career fumble recovery against the Red Raiders
Assisted on three tackles against Kansas and shared a TFL
Tallied a TFL to go with three tackles against Baylor; also blocked a field goal
Finished with four tackles and a TFL at Oklahoma State
Made three tackles against Eastern Kentucky, including 1.5 TFLs

2019 (So.)

Earned All-Big 12 Second-Team honors
Played in 12 games at defensive end and started three
Saw action in 487 plays, including 447 defensive snaps
Used on 30 or more plays in 11 games, including a season-high 61 plays against NC State
Tied for the WVU lead with seven sacks and was second in tackles for loss with 11.5
Finished the season with 24 tackles, including 14 solos stops, a forced fumble and a pass breakup
Tied for No. 4 in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.58)
Also ranks No. 10 in the league in tackles for loss per game (0.96)
Team leader in career sacks (10)
Also tied for the team lead in career tackles for loss (18.0)
Posted his seventh sack of the season against Oklahoma State
Registered two tackles, including one tackle for loss, at Kansas State
Finished with three tackles and tied his career high in sacks (2) at Baylor
Had three tackles at Kansas, including a sack and forced fumble
Registered three tackles, including two sacks, against NC State in his first career start
Defensive Player of the Week - NC State
Recorded three tackles at Missouri, including 1.5 tackles for loss
Led WVU with two tackles for loss, including a sack, against James Madison; finished with three tackles

2018 (Fr.)

The Athletic Freshman All-America
ESPN.com Freshman All-America
Registered 16 tackles for the year, including 13 solo stops, three sacks, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles
Tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (2)
Ranked No. 3 on the WVU defense in sacks (3)
Finished with a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry against Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl
Notched one assisted stop and assisted on a tackle for loss against Oklahoma
Tallied two solo stops and set a career high in tackles for loss (2) vs. TCU
Recorded one solo stop vs. Texas
Set career highs in solo tackles (3) and total tackles (3) against Baylor
Registered two total tackles against Iowa State, including a solo stop and a TFL
Tallied two solo stops against Kansas
Finished with two tackles, including one for loss, a sack and a forced fumble against Youngstown State
Made career debut as a true freshman vs. Tennessee

High School

Three-time Class AA All-State performer for coach Nick Bartic and J.L. Abbott at Fairmont Senior High School
Named defensive captain and a first-team selection of the 2017 West Virginia AA All-State team
Also a first-team All-State selection as a junior and a second team All-State selection as a sophomore
Named a 2017 Under Armour All-American
Led the Polar Bears to consecutive state runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017
Team finished 12-2 overall and 8-0 in its conference in 2017
Collected 81 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a senior
As a junior, he collected 75 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks
Four-time member of the Times West Virginian All-Area football team
Ranked as the state’s No. 1 prospect by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports

Personal

Son of Gary Stills and Janeen Floyd
One of three children
Brother, Darius, was a Consensus All-American and All-Big 12 defensive lineman at WVU
Father was an All-Big East linebacker at WVU for Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen, before enjoying a successful pro career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams
Majoring in multidisciplinary studies
Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll

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Published Nov 18, 2022

JULIA MELLETT