Oklahoma Sooners dealt tragic blow by startling transfer portal decision from former elite recruit that alters the state of their defense
Just days after the Oklahoma Sooners scored a major win in the transfer portal with the signing of Jaydn Ott, the Sooners got blindsided by news of a departure from the program. Friday night, former five-star defensive tackle David Stone elected to enter the transfer portal. This decision came out of nowhere. While most departures […]
Just days after the Oklahoma Sooners scored a major win in the transfer portal with the signing of Jaydn Ott, the Sooners got blindsided by news of a departure from the program.
Friday night, former five-star defensive tackle David Stone elected to enter the transfer portal.
This decision came out of nowhere. While most departures were expected and even encouraged, Stone's decision was a true blindside to the program.
Stone was set to be the starting three-technique for the Sooners in 2025 after an encouraging 2024 season. Again, he was slated to be a starter for an SEC program….and still left. This is almost entirely money-related, another reminder about the state of college football right now.
Remember that Stone cannot transfer to an SEC school without sitting out for a year. If you remember back to his recruiting, Miami was a major factor in his recruiting, and the Sooners beat them out to secure Stone's commitment. He can't go to an SEC school, and Miami was another top choice…I'll let you put the dots together there.
For the Sooners, Stone's blindsiding decision exposes a hole in the roster. After 2025, the Sooners will have just two defensive tackles on the roster in Jayden Jackson and 2025 recruit Trent Wilson. All of a sudden, their long-term plans there have gone up in smoke with this departure.
They are still largely set for 2025, with Jayden Jackson, Gracen Halton, and Damonic Williams returning. All three started over Stone last year, so the Sooners aren't losing a lot of production in this room for next season.
Defensive tackle was a need for Oklahoma, but felt like more of a luxury this offseason than priority. Now, that will have to shift as the Sooners look to replace him. We'll see how the Sooners opt to attack that issue.
