Announcement; Danny Stutsman signed a four years contract with..
NORMAN — Major life decisions are never easy.
Danny Stutsman knows that firsthand.
The Oklahoma linebacker who has grown into the centerpiece of Brent Venables’ defense went through the ringer this past week, initially deciding to forego his senior season to head to the 2024 NFL Draft before having a change of heart to ultimately return to Norman.
“It was a headache, man,” Stutsman said after OU’s practice on Tuesday. “It was probably one of the most stressful weeks of my life.”
After totaling 99 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss and three sacks, two forced fumbles and a pick six in 2023, Stutsman was confident in his pro prospects.
He even told Venables as much.
But the Oklahoma coach wouldn’t let Stutsman go without one last pitch.
“They already cleaned out my locker; everything was ready to go, and Coach V called me on Friday,” Stutsman said. “Really just sat down, talked it through with him again. Like I said before, I just didn’t feel like I was ready to leave yet. Didn’t want to rush that. You never have this time to go back to college, and I really just wanted to finish out my senior year and everything that comes with that.”
