David Stone

Uh, PFF, uh, reviewing Oklahoma before the season started said the, the Sooners have the fifth-best linebacker unit, tenth-best defensive line, and a top 15 secondary nationally.

Uh, shouting out a defensive tackle in David Stone, who they believe could be one of the, if not the best interior defensive line prospect, uh, heading into the 2027 draft.

Uh, give us, Tom, your, your standouts on the defense.

A- and I know it's a lot.

But are there areas, if any, that you think could be concerns or question marks or areas that a competent offense, uh, could attack Oklahoma?

Yeah.

As far as standouts, I mean, you mentioned David Stone, probably gonna be a mid-first round draft pick next April.

Um, a guy that's, you know, didn't play a whole lot as a freshman, but really broke out last year.

And I mean, I will say like apparently the Darius Alexander thing isn't really working out.

So you could replace one three tech for another with David Stone.

But otherwise, man, like another one of these teams where the roster is just good enough kind of across the board.

They could use another receiver.

All right, Bears on the clock.

We've given them a de-tackle both times, I believe.

David Stone and Will Elkos we went with.

So I'm going to go a little bit different.

And I mean, I will say like apparently the Derrick's Alexander thing isn't really working out.

So you could replace one three tech for another with David Stone.

But otherwise, man, like another one of these teams where the roster is just good enough kind of across the board.

They could use another receiver.

All right, the Bears on the clock.

We've given them a D-tackle both times, I believe.

David Stone and Will Elkos we went with.

So I'm going to go a little bit different.

Number three, and you know, we're going to look to the defensive side of the ball here.

I'm going to look at David Stone.

Michigan has a quarterback in Bryce Underwood who is tremendously talented, but he's a young player.

And Oklahoma's job is to make sure that he feels pressure.

But here's the key.

Pressure doesn't always have to come from the edge.

Sometimes the most disruptive pressure comes right up the middle, and that's where David Stone can become a major factor in this game.

If Stone can collapse the pocket and disrupt Michigan's interior running game, ultimately that forces Bryce Underwood to make decisions probably before he's ready to make them That would allow Oklahoma's defense to take control in the big house.

But we have proof of concept from Oklahoma defensively a year ago with this coaching staff, with a lot of these same players.

I know David Stone is good.

I know Peyton Bowen's good.

I've watched them play football already.

As much as they lose with his absence and going off to the NFL and making noise against the Chiefs, they feel like they are going to be very serviceable at that position.

And obviously, when you look at the two interior guys, Jaden Jackson and David Stone, they feel like they have one of the better starting 11 units in the country.

But, Eddie, Adeware was supposed to be one of the guys a couple years ago.

Like, the spring game looked ridiculous.

And Danny Okoye, who didn't play in the season opener for Oklahoma a week ago, a local product from Tulsa, also at defensive end, that both of those guys pairing alongside Taylor Wine on the opposite side, they feel like as much as R. Mason, you're not going to be able to replace him, as much as they lose with his absence and going off to the NFL and making noise against the Chiefs, they feel like they are going to be very serviceable at that position.

And obviously when you look at the two interior guys, Jaden Jackson and David Stone, They feel like they have one of the better starting 11 units in the country.

But, Eddie, Adeware was supposed to be one of the guys a couple years ago.

The spring game looked ridiculous.

That'd be the method of operation to try to simplify things for Underwood is just put him in manageable third and shorts, third and mediums on a regular basis, and some positive things offensively could happen.

But, again, you like David Stone and Jaden Jackson and Taylor Wine in the openers doing Taylor Wine things, and he's going to continue to do that.

So, look, I feel really good about Oklahoma's chances going into this football game.

I