For Oklahoma Sooners fans, Danny Stutsman has been the heartbeat of the defense, a relentless linebacker who’s left it all on the field in Norman. When the New Orleans Saints scooped him up with the 112th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a bittersweet moment—pride in seeing a Sooner head to the pros mixed with the sting of losing a player who embodied OU’s grit. From his high school days in Florida to his rise as a tackling machine in the SEC, Stutsman’s journey is a story of instinct, leadership, and a love for the game that’s about to light up the Superdome. Let’s dive into the life of the kid from Windermere who’s ready to bring his Oklahoma swagger to the Big Easy.
Born on March 10, 2003, in Windermere, Florida, Stutsman was a two-way star at Foundation Academy, racking up 333 tackles, 20 sacks, and eight forced fumbles on defense while hauling in 44 catches for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns as a receiver. The guy was a human highlight reel, leading his team to the 2020 Florida 2A state semifinals with 78 tackles, five sacks, and over 1,000 offensive yards in just eight games. A three-star recruit, he picked Oklahoma over offers from Iowa State, Baylor, and Minnesota, drawn to the Sooners’ tradition of tough, playmaking linebackers like Curtis Lofton and Kenneth Murray. That choice kicked off a college career that would etch his name into OU’s record books and make him a fan favorite for life.
At Oklahoma, Stutsman didn’t just play—he dominated. As a freshman in 2021, he fought through a dislocated elbow to log 38 tackles, a sack, and two forced fumbles in 10 games, showing the kind of toughness that wins over teammates and fans alike. By 2022, he was the Big 12’s leading tackler with 125 stops, adding three sacks and two interceptions, including a career-high 18 tackles against Texas Tech. In 2023, he took over as the defense’s vocal leader, piling up 104 tackles, 16 for loss, and a pick-six while earning second-team All-American honors from Walter Camp. His senior year in 2024 was his masterpiece: 109 tackles, eight for loss, a sack, and consensus All-American status as a Butkus Award finalist. With 376 career tackles, he ranks ninth in OU history, a testament to his nose for the ball and relentless motor. Stutsman’s synergy with linemen like Ethan Downs and R Mason Thomas was electric, helping OU’s defense hold its own in the brutal SEC.
When draft day rolled around, Stutsman’s phone lit up with a call from New Orleans, a team desperate to shore up a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2024, giving up 379.9 yards per game. The Saints, coming off a 5-12 season, saw Stutsman as a perfect fit—a 6-foot-4, 241-pound missile who ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the Combine and brings the kind of sideline-to-sideline speed that can change games. He joins a linebacker room with veterans like Demario Davis and Pete Werner, but his instincts and physicality make him a candidate to compete for snaps early, maybe even as a long-term heir to Davis. Stutsman’s game is tailor-made for the NFL’s run-heavy battles: he’s a downhill thumper who slips blocks, narrows running lanes, and hits like a freight train. His 36 career tackles for loss and eight sacks show he’s not just a tackler—he’s a playmaker who can disrupt backfields.
What makes Stutsman special isn’t just his stat sheet. This is a guy who gave $50,000 of his NIL money to OU’s walk-ons, thanking them for their grind in a team meeting that left jaws on the floor. He’s the same player who got an upside-down Longhorn tattoo after OU’s 2023 Red River win, declaring, “Oklahoma only fears God, and Texas fears Oklahoma!” That fire, that leadership, is what Saints fans will fall in love with. He’s already got the locker room buzzing—ESPN analysts raved about his ability to set a culture, and OU coach Brent Venables called him “one of the best linebackers in Oklahoma history.” New Orleans worked him out in Norman, and it was their only pre-draft visit with him, a sign they knew exactly what they were getting: a hard-nosed, football-smart linebacker who lives for the big moments.
Stutsman’s not perfect. His coverage skills need polish—his zone awareness can lag, and he’s better at disrupting passing lanes (11 pass deflections, three picks) than locking down receivers in space. He’s also got to work on shedding blocks more consistently; he absorbs contact well but doesn’t always deliver the pop to stack and shed. Still, these are coachable flaws, and with his athleticism and work ethic, you’d bet on him figuring it out. In New Orleans, he’ll likely start on special teams and as a rotational piece, with a chance to earn a bigger role if he can refine his pass defense. The Saints’ scheme, which loves to blitz and play aggressive, fits his downhill trigger like a glove. Picture him knifing through gaps to blow up a run or chasing down a scrambling quarterback—that’s where he’ll make his money early.
Off the field, Stutsman’s character shines as bright as his play. The son of two Baylor athletes—his dad played football, his mom basketball—he grew up with a competitive edge that’s matched by his heart. He graduated from OU with a degree in multidisciplinary studies, and his donation to walk-ons wasn’t a one-off; he’s been a mentor to younger players and a voice in the community. In New Orleans, a city that lives and breathes its football team, he’s got a chance to become a fan favorite, just like he was in Norman. Stories like him buying 11 team hats at Lids for his draft party—keeping the Saints one and returning the rest—show a guy who’s grounded, relatable, and ready to embrace his new home.
For Sooners fans, watching Stutsman trade crimson and cream for black and gold is tough, but it’s hard not to be excited. He’s joining a Saints team with former OU quarterback Spencer Rattler, giving Oklahoma fans a reason to tune in on Sundays. His 37 straight starts at OU, his All-SEC nod in the program’s first year in the conference, and his ability to rally a defense make him a player New Orleans can build around. If he hits his ceiling, we’re talking about a linebacker who could anchor the Saints’ defense for a decade, bringing the same intensity that made him a legend in Norman. As he steps into the NFL, Stutsman carries the pride of Sooner Nation with him, ready to show the league what OU football is all about.Danny Stutsman: The Heart of OU’s Defense Lands in New Orleans with the Saints
For Oklahoma Sooners fans, Danny Stutsman has been the heartbeat of the defense, a relentless linebacker who’s left it all on the field in Norman. When the New Orleans Saints scooped him up with the 112th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a bittersweet moment—pride in seeing a Sooner head to the pros mixed with the sting of losing a player who embodied OU’s grit. From his high school days in Florida to his rise as a tackling machine in the SEC, Stutsman’s journey is a story of instinct, leadership, and a love for the game that’s about to light up the Superdome. Let’s dive into the life of the kid from Windermere who’s ready to bring his Oklahoma swagger to the Big Easy.
Born on March 10, 2003, in Windermere, Florida, Stutsman was a two-way star at Foundation Academy, racking up 333 tackles, 20 sacks, and eight forced fumbles on defense while hauling in 44 catches for 891 yards and 12 touchdowns as a receiver. The guy was a human highlight reel, leading his team to the 2020 Florida 2A state semifinals with 78 tackles, five sacks, and over 1,000 offensive yards in just eight games. A three-star recruit, he picked Oklahoma over offers from Iowa State, Baylor, and Minnesota, drawn to the Sooners’ tradition of tough, playmaking linebackers like Curtis Lofton and Kenneth Murray. That choice kicked off a college career that would etch his name into OU’s record books and make him a fan favorite for life.
At Oklahoma, Stutsman didn’t just play—he dominated. As a freshman in 2021, he fought through a dislocated elbow to log 38 tackles, a sack, and two forced fumbles in 10 games, showing the kind of toughness that wins over teammates and fans alike. By 2022, he was the Big 12’s leading tackler with 125 stops, adding three sacks and two interceptions, including a career-high 18 tackles against Texas Tech. In 2023, he took over as the defense’s vocal leader, piling up 104 tackles, 16 for loss, and a pick-six while earning second-team All-American honors from Walter Camp. His senior year in 2024 was his masterpiece: 109 tackles, eight for loss, a sack, and consensus All-American status as a Butkus Award finalist. With 376 career tackles, he ranks ninth in OU history, a testament to his nose for the ball and relentless motor. Stutsman’s synergy with linemen like Ethan Downs and R Mason Thomas was electric, helping OU’s defense hold its own in the brutal SEC.
When draft day rolled around, Stutsman’s phone lit up with a call from New Orleans, a team desperate to shore up a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL in 2024, giving up 379.9 yards per game. The Saints, coming off a 5-12 season, saw Stutsman as a perfect fit—a 6-foot-4, 241-pound missile who ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the Combine and brings the kind of sideline-to-sideline speed that can change games. He joins a linebacker room with veterans like Demario Davis and Pete Werner, but his instincts and physicality make him a candidate to compete for snaps early, maybe even as a long-term heir to Davis. Stutsman’s game is tailor-made for the NFL’s run-heavy battles: he’s a downhill thumper who slips blocks, narrows running lanes, and hits like a freight train. His 36 career tackles for loss and eight sacks show he’s not just a tackler—he’s a playmaker who can disrupt backfields.
What makes Stutsman special isn’t just his stat sheet. This is a guy who gave $50,000 of his NIL money to OU’s walk-ons, thanking them for their grind in a team meeting that left jaws on the floor. He’s the same player who got an upside-down Longhorn tattoo after OU’s 2023 Red River win, declaring, “Oklahoma only fears God, and Texas fears Oklahoma!” That fire, that leadership, is what Saints fans will fall in love with. He’s already got the locker room buzzing—ESPN analysts raved about his ability to set a culture, and OU coach Brent Venables called him “one of the best linebackers in Oklahoma history.” New Orleans worked him out in Norman, and it was their only pre-draft visit with him, a sign they knew exactly what they were getting: a hard-nosed, football-smart linebacker who lives for the big moments.
Stutsman’s not perfect. His coverage skills need polish—his zone awareness can lag, and he’s better at disrupting passing lanes (11 pass deflections, three picks) than locking down receivers in space. He’s also got to work on shedding blocks more consistently; he absorbs contact well but doesn’t always deliver the pop to stack and shed. Still, these are coachable flaws, and with his athleticism and work ethic, you’d bet on him figuring it out. In New Orleans, he’ll likely start on special teams and as a rotational piece, with a chance to earn a bigger role if he can refine his pass defense. The Saints’ scheme, which loves to blitz and play aggressive, fits his downhill trigger like a glove. Picture him knifing through gaps to blow up a run or chasing down a scrambling quarterback—that’s where he’ll make his money early.
Off the field, Stutsman’s character shines as bright as his play. The son of two Baylor athletes—his dad played football, his mom basketball—he grew up with a competitive edge that’s matched by his heart. He graduated from OU with a degree in multidisciplinary studies, and his donation to walk-ons wasn’t a one-off; he’s been a mentor to younger players and a voice in the community. In New Orleans, a city that lives and breathes its football team, he’s got a chance to become a fan favorite, just like he was in Norman. Stories like him buying 11 team hats at Lids for his draft party—keeping the Saints one and returning the rest—show a guy who’s grounded, relatable, and ready to embrace his new home.
For Sooners fans, watching Stutsman trade crimson and cream for black and gold is tough, but it’s hard not to be excited. He’s joining a Saints team with former OU quarterback Spencer Rattler, giving Oklahoma fans a reason to tune in on Sundays. His 37 straight starts at OU, his All-SEC nod in the program’s first year in the conference, and his ability to rally a defense make him a player New Orleans can build around. If he hits his ceiling, we’re talking about a linebacker who could anchor the Saints’ defense for a decade, bringing the same intensity that made him a legend in Norman. As he steps into the NFL, Stutsman carries the pride of Sooner Nation with him, ready to show the league what OU football is all about.
