Who knows exactly what 2024 has in store for the Oklahoma Sooners? Few teams will be undergoing more change than Brent Venables’s squad, who will be entering the SEC, a much more challenging conference than their previous home of the Big 12.
Oklahoma had an up-and-down 2023, picking up some nice wins but ultimately stumbling midseason and falling out of the College Football Playoff picture. This year, the playoff field is wider, leaving more room for error, but Oklahoma’s path is tougher too, especially with star quarterback Dillon Gabriel transferring to Oregon.
One thing that’s for sure is that the Sooners will be fielding lots of talented players, ones who have NFL aspirations, and they’ll have the chance to prove themselves against the best of the best in the SEC.
Here are the top three Oklahoma prospects to watch ahead of the NFL Draft, which begins on April 24, 2025:
Danny Stutsman | Linebacker
FantasyPros’ Matthew Jones on Stutsman: “Brings a tough temperament”
Prospect ranking: Pro Football Focus (No. 76), Tankathon (No. 49), Pro Football Network (Honorable Mention)
Despite Oklahoma’s identity as primarily an offense-first team, the best prospect on this year’s team just might be a defender. Stutsman is already a first-team All-Big 12 honoree, from the 2023 season, a year after he led the conference with 124 total tackles.
Now, in his fourth season of action, he’ll look to cap off that impressive resume with a great year of play in the SEC, and potentially a high draft spot.
Stutsman was only a three-star recruit, dragged down to a degree by the fact that his athleticism is “good enough,” rather than exceptional or a true plus. Even so, he’s shown some impressive power at times, and has a high-level motor that allows him to play above his physical profile.
The 6-foot-4 and 240 pound Stutsman also does a good job reading the play quickly, allowing him to be efficient with that all-important first step and flow right towards the football.
This is going to become something of a pattern throughout this Oklahoma player review, but different grading sources are very far apart on Stutsman. Some view him as a high-end day two player, while others don’t see him as a top-100 prospect at all.
This is likely due to differing opinions on just how much his production will translate to the next level given his level of athleticism; certain scouts think he will be severely hampered, while others believe that his refined football ability will be enough to make him a strong pro. Thus, where he goes in the draft will simply depend on how highly one team values that balance.
