Oklahoma Linebacker Danny Stutsman Named Finalists For Butkus Award

University of Oklahoma senior Danny Stutsman has been named one of five finalists for the prestigious 40th annual Butkus Award, which honors the nation's top linebacker, the Butkus Foundation announced on Monday.

Stutsman is joined by Clemson’s Barrett Carter, Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr., UCLA’s Carson Schlesinger, and Georgia’s Jalon Walker. The award, named in honor of the late Dick Butkus, a National Football Foundation and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, is one of the highest accolades for a linebacker.

A fourth-year player from Windermere, Florida, Stutsman has started all 11 games this season at middle linebacker. He currently ranks fourth in the SEC and 21st nationally with 100 total tackles, leading his team. His average of 9.1 tackles per game is also fourth in the SEC and 22nd nationally. Stutsman has accumulated 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and three quarterback hurries. He has posted double-digit tackles in four games this season, including three games with 15 or more. He has led the Sooners in tackles in seven of their 11 contests.

In the game against Missouri on Nov. 9, Stutsman set a career-high with 19 tackles, including 10 in the first half. His 19 tackles were the most by a Sooner since 2018. Earlier in the season, he was named a midseason first-team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports, and the Senior Bowl, and a second-team All-American by The Athletic and Athlon Sports.

Stutsman has played in 46 career games, starting 36 consecutively over the past three seasons, and has accumulated 367 career tackles, ranking ninth in Oklahoma history. His 35.5 career tackles for loss place him seventh among OU inside linebackers, with just 1.5 more needed to break into the top four. He has also totaled 8.0 career sacks and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. This season, with 100 tackles, he has recorded triple-digit tackles in three straight years—becoming the first Sooner to do so since Travis Lewis from 2008 to 2010.

Stutsman’s leadership extends beyond the field. He was voted a permanent team captain at the end of his sophomore season in 2022 and was again selected as captain in 2023. Over the past three seasons, he has served as a game captain nine times, including five times this year. Earlier in the season, Stutsman generously donated a portion of his NIL earnings to support several walk-on players, recognizing their hard work and contribution to the team.

Three Oklahoma players have won the Butkus Award, with four total wins: Brian Bosworth (1985, ’86), Rocky Calmus (2001), and Teddy Lehman (2003).

Established in 1985, the Butkus Award honors the most impactful linebacker in college football each year. In 2008, the Butkus Foundation took full stewardship of the award to ensure it recognized not only athletic achievement but also community service. Since then, the award has celebrated the nation’s top linebackers at the high school, college, and professional levels. The selection committee, comprising 51 experts from professional, college, and high school football, as well as prominent sports journalists, conducts the annual selection process.

The award emphasizes the qualities that defined Dick Butkus' career: toughness, leadership, competitiveness, football character, and exceptional linebacker skills. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on linebackers who play off the ball in a traditional two-point stance.

The winner of the Butkus Award will be announced by Dec. 10. A celebration of the award is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois, where Dick Butkus made his legendary mark.