Danny Stutsman named First Team All-American

Danny Stutsman, a senior linebacker at the University of Oklahoma, achieved another significant honor on Friday by being selected for the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America First Team. This recognition came just one day after he was named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Foundation. Additionally, Stutsman was a finalist for the Butkus Award and received first-team All-SEC accolades from both the coaches and media in the league.

Stutsman has become the first Sooner to earn first-team All-American recognition from at least one of the five NCAA-approved selectors (AFCA, AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp Foundation) since wide receiver CeeDee Lamb did so in 2019.

Originating from Windermere, Florida, this fourth-year player has been a key contributor, starting all 12 games this season as a middle linebacker. He led the team with 109 total tackles, placing him fourth in the SEC and 24th in the nation. Averaging 9.1 tackles per game, he ranks fourth in the SEC and 22nd nationally. Throughout the season, he tallied 8.0 tackles for loss, one sack, and three quarterback hurries. In a remarkable outing against Missouri on November 9, he set a career-high with 19 tackles, including 10 in the first half alone. This performance marked the highest tackle total for a Sooner since 2018. He achieved double-digit tackles in four games and surpassed 15 tackles in three contests, leading the Sooners in tackles in eight of the 12 games played.

Throughout his career, Stutsman has played in 47 games, starting the last 37 in a row over the past three seasons. He has recorded 376 career tackles, ranking him ninth in Oklahoma's history. He is tied for fifth among OU inside linebackers with 36.0 tackles for loss, in addition to 8.0 sacks and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. This season, he has tallied 109 tackles, marking his third consecutive year with over 100 tackles, a milestone last reached by Travis Lewis from 2008 to 2010. Stutsman has served as a game captain 10 times in the last three seasons, including six times this year, and was named a permanent team captain at the end of his sophomore year.