Oklahoma Sooners studs are getting the recognition they deserve after being placed on elite watch lists
The Oklahoma Sooners have an elite roster, and David Stone, Kip Lewis, and Ben Anderson are a part of that.
The Oklahoma Sooners enter the 2026 season with several players earning spots on prestigious awards watch lists, a reflection of the talent Brent Venables has assembled in Norman.
Long snapper Ben Anderson landed on the Mannelly Award watch list, defensive tackle David Stone earned Outland Trophy and Nagurski Trophy recognition, and linebacker Kip Lewis joined Stone on the Nagurski Trophy watch list. Add in John Mateer’s placement on the Maxwell Award watch list, and the Sooners have a loaded roster that’s generating national attention before the season even kicks off.
David Stone could be a problem for the rest of the SEC
Stone is one of the best defensive tackles in the country, and many draft analysts project him as a first-round pick. Some even have him going in the top 10. The Outland Trophy, typically awarded to the best offensive or defensive lineman in college football, is a fitting watch list for a player who dominated last season despite splitting time in a deep rotation.
Stone played in all 13 games last year but served primarily as a rotational piece. Venables rotated those defensive linemen in and out constantly to keep them fresh, and Stone still finished with 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one pass deflection. The sack total doesn’t tell the full story. Stone was a force in the run game and as a pass rusher, eating up blockers and opening up the game for everybody around him. With a larger role ahead of him in 2026, the numbers could skyrocket.
Kip Lewis could emerge as the best linebacker in the country
Lewis made the decision to return to Oklahoma, and that choice alone elevates the Sooners’ linebacker room to one of the best in college football. The Nagurski Trophy, created in 1993 by the FWAA, goes to the best defensive player in the sport. Past winners include Charles Woodson, Aaron Donald, Luke Kuechly, and Will Anderson, who won it twice. For Lewis to share the watch list with Stone speaks to how talented this Oklahoma defense could be.
Last season, Lewis posted 76 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four pass deflections. You could make the case he was already one of the best linebackers in the country a year ago. Coming into this season with Owen Heinecke next to him, a strong linebacker room around him, the defensive line talent up front, and another year in the system, Lewis could turn into a freak of nature in this defense. He’s also a leader, and everybody in the building loves him for it.
The Sooners have the talent, now they need the results
All three of these players earned their spots on these watch lists. You don’t get thrown on a watch list because you’re a decent player. You have to be pretty good, and you have to have shown something before. Anderson, Stone, and Lewis have all done that.
The Sooners have a loaded team heading into 2026. The talent is there across the board, from the defensive line to the linebacker room to the specialists. Now it’s about whether they can do something with it.
