Completed Event: Football at Temple on September 13, 2025 , Win , 42, to, 3
Final
Football
42
at Temple
3
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Photo by: Peyton Martin/University of Oklahoma
Stutsman Named Butkus Award Finalist
November 25, 2024 | Football
NORMAN — University of Oklahoma senior linebacker Danny Stutsman has been named one of five finalists for the 40th annual Butkus Award, which is presented to the nation's best linebacker, the Butkus Foundation announced Monday.
Stutsman is joined on the list of finalists by Clemson's Barrett Carter, Ole Miss' Chris Paul Jr., UCLA's Carson Scwesinger and Georgia's Jalon Walker. The Butkus Award is named for late National Football Foundation and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus.
A fourth-year player from Windermere, Fla., Stutsman has started all 11 contests at middle linebacker and ranks fourth in the SEC and 21st nationally with his team-high 100 total tackles. He also ranks fourth in the SEC and 22nd nationally by averaging 9.1 tackles per game. He has registered 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack and three QB hurries this season. He has logged double-digit tackles four times this season and at least 15 tackles three times, and has led the Sooners in tackles in seven of 11 games this year.
Against Missouri on Nov. 9, Stutsman logged a career-high 19 tackles, including 10 in the first half. His 19 tackles were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season. Stutsman was named a midseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports and the Senior Bowl, and was recognized as a midseason second-team All-American by The Athletic and Athlon Sports.
Stutsman has played in 46 career games and started each of his last 36 (all over the last three seasons), totaling 367 career tackles to rank ninth in Oklahoma history. His 35.5 career tackles for loss rank him seventh among OU inside linebackers (he needs 1.5 to move into the top four). Stutsman has also totaled 8.0 career sacks and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. With 100 tackles this season, he has registered triple-digit tackles in three consecutive campaigns. He is the first Sooner with triple-digit tackles in three consecutive seasons since Travis Lewis from 2008-10.
Stutsman established himself as a great teammate, leader and community citizen early in his career. He was first voted as a permanent team captain at the end of his sophomore season in 2022, and then again in 2023. He has served as a game captain nine times over the last three seasons, including five times this year. Earlier this fall, Stutsman donated a portion of his NIL earnings to several of the team's walk-on players in recognition of their hard work and value to the program.
Three Oklahoma players have won a total of four Butkus Awards, including the first award in 1985: Brian Bosworth (1985 and '86), Rocky Calmus (2001) and Teddy Lehman (2003).
Instituted in 1985, the Butkus Award is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community. Since that time, the award has honored the nation's best high school, college and professional linebackers. An independent Butkus Award selection committee comprised of 51 experts, including professional, college and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists conducts the selection process each year.
The selection process for the award emphasizes qualities that defined Butkus' career: toughness, on-field leadership, competitiveness, football character and linebacking skills. The award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.
The Butkus Award winner will be named by Dec. 10. A Butkus Award celebration is planned Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, where Dick Butkus established his legendary career.
Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) concludes the regular season at LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
2024 Butkus Award Finalists
Barrett Carter, Clemson
Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi
Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Jalon Walker, Georgia
Stutsman is joined on the list of finalists by Clemson's Barrett Carter, Ole Miss' Chris Paul Jr., UCLA's Carson Scwesinger and Georgia's Jalon Walker. The Butkus Award is named for late National Football Foundation and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dick Butkus.
A fourth-year player from Windermere, Fla., Stutsman has started all 11 contests at middle linebacker and ranks fourth in the SEC and 21st nationally with his team-high 100 total tackles. He also ranks fourth in the SEC and 22nd nationally by averaging 9.1 tackles per game. He has registered 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack and three QB hurries this season. He has logged double-digit tackles four times this season and at least 15 tackles three times, and has led the Sooners in tackles in seven of 11 games this year.
Against Missouri on Nov. 9, Stutsman logged a career-high 19 tackles, including 10 in the first half. His 19 tackles were the most by a Sooner since the 2018 season. Stutsman was named a midseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports and the Senior Bowl, and was recognized as a midseason second-team All-American by The Athletic and Athlon Sports.
Stutsman has played in 46 career games and started each of his last 36 (all over the last three seasons), totaling 367 career tackles to rank ninth in Oklahoma history. His 35.5 career tackles for loss rank him seventh among OU inside linebackers (he needs 1.5 to move into the top four). Stutsman has also totaled 8.0 career sacks and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. With 100 tackles this season, he has registered triple-digit tackles in three consecutive campaigns. He is the first Sooner with triple-digit tackles in three consecutive seasons since Travis Lewis from 2008-10.
Stutsman established himself as a great teammate, leader and community citizen early in his career. He was first voted as a permanent team captain at the end of his sophomore season in 2022, and then again in 2023. He has served as a game captain nine times over the last three seasons, including five times this year. Earlier this fall, Stutsman donated a portion of his NIL earnings to several of the team's walk-on players in recognition of their hard work and value to the program.
Three Oklahoma players have won a total of four Butkus Awards, including the first award in 1985: Brian Bosworth (1985 and '86), Rocky Calmus (2001) and Teddy Lehman (2003).
Instituted in 1985, the Butkus Award is one of the elite individual honors, originally given each year to one player in college football: the most impactful linebacker in the game. In 2008, The Butkus Foundation took stewardship of the award to fully realize the original purpose of honoring athletic achievement and service to the community. Since that time, the award has honored the nation's best high school, college and professional linebackers. An independent Butkus Award selection committee comprised of 51 experts, including professional, college and high school scouts, and prominent sports journalists conducts the selection process each year.
The selection process for the award emphasizes qualities that defined Butkus' career: toughness, on-field leadership, competitiveness, football character and linebacking skills. The award is increasingly focused on recognizing linebackers who consistently play off the ball on their feet in a two-point stance in traditional form.
The Butkus Award winner will be named by Dec. 10. A Butkus Award celebration is planned Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, where Dick Butkus established his legendary career.
Oklahoma (6-5, 2-5 SEC) concludes the regular season at LSU (7-4, 4-3 SEC) on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.
2024 Butkus Award Finalists
Barrett Carter, Clemson
Chris Paul Jr., Mississippi
Carson Schwesinger, UCLA
Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma
Jalon Walker, Georgia
Players Mentioned
LB
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