Ex-Foundation star Stutsman will leave Oklahoma, enter NFL draft
Former Winter Garden Foundation Academy star and Oklahoma All-America linebacker Danny Stutsman has decided to enter the 2024 NFL draft. It is unclear whether he intends to play in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona.
SoonerScoop.com first reported the move. OU coach Brent Venables withheld comment on Stutsman’s status until a later date.
The 6-foot-3, 229-pound Stutsman, a junior who has been the starting middle linebacker at Oklahoma since his sophomore season, is projected to be a third- or fourth-round pick. At Oklahoma, he racked up, 261 tackles and seven sacks, as well as three interceptions and a fumble recovery.
This season he had 99 tackles, which ranks No. 24 in the country, and also had 14 tackles for a loss and three sacks. He earned All-America and All-Big 12 honors for the second straight season.
Stutsman has a keen eye for following the football and is one of the best assignment linebackers in the country, whether it be as a spy on the quarterback or tracking running backs out of the backfield.
He did everything at Foundation Academy, playing running back, wide receiver and tight end to go along with his linebacker duties.
Foundation was 9-3 his senior year, and he had had 110 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss and three sacks. On offense, he caught 44 passes for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns and added two more TDs on the ground while carrying 30 times for 202 yards.
Brad Lord coached Stutsman at Foundation from his eighth-grade year to graduation.
“I will never forget the first time I saw Danny Stutsmsn play football,” Lord said. “I was watching my son Brady play for the Windermere Bobcats. Danny was playing quarterback, and I turned to my wife Amy and said, ‘That kid is going to be special.’
“Watching Danny grow as a leader at Foundation Academy was a privilege. He is a player who is high motor, high intelligence and always gives 100 percent.”
Lord has projected Stutsman as an NFL talent for a long time.
“I knew it when he was in ninth grade,” Lord said last December.
“He just had that extra gear. He’s got an NFL gear. If he stays healthy and keeps going like this, I’m sure he’ll be playing a lot of linebacker in the NFL.”
Chris Hays covers high school and college football and college football recruiting. You can find him on X ( formerly Twitter) @OS_ ChrisHays or on Instagram @OS_ ChrisHays. Email him at chays@ orlandosentinel.com.