David Stone’s rise at Oklahoma has been fast, and it’s starting to sound like the Sooners may have landed something bigger than a blue-chip recruit.
When Stone signed with Oklahoma in the 2024 class, the buzz was real. The five-star defensive tackle was seen as one of the program’s biggest recruiting wins in years, and 247Sports ranked him as the No. 10 recruit ever to sign with the Sooners.
The path after that wasn’t instant stardom. Stone, an Oklahoma native who finished high school at IMG Academy in Florida, spent his freshman year easing into the college game. He played a limited role and finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack.
Then came a surprise. After that season, Stone entered the transfer portal, a move that caught Oklahoma off guard. But he ultimately stayed in Norman, and that choice changed the trajectory of his career.
Last season, Stone turned into a breakout force. He piled up 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and quickly worked his way into the conversation among the nation’s top defensive tackles. On “The Hard Count,” On3’s Kaiden Smith went a step further and called him the best at the position.
“The person who made that all stir was David Stone, who I think is quietly the best defensive tackle in the nation,” Smith said. “He's the kind of guy you have to have four hands on, on the offensive line. You have to double this guy.”
That kind of praise matches the way Stone’s stock has climbed since he decided to remain with the Sooners. With 2026 approaching, the expectations are only getting bigger.
If he keeps building on last season’s production, Stone has a real chance to become one of the premier defensive players in the country. And with Oklahoma trying to put together the nation’s top defense, he looks like one of the key pieces holding it together.
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