David Stone sent the OU football program into shock yesterday when he entered the transfer portal on Friday. The Sooners sophomore defensive lineman was widely expected to be a key part of a loaded defense. The 19-year-old Del City native played in all 13 games as a true freshman and recorded a total of six tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack last year.
The 19-year-old, who committed to the Sooners in the 2024 class, was a consensus five-star recruit and was widely regarded as one of the best defensive line talents in the country.
David Stone Blocked By Conference Rules
Stone’s top six schools in addition to OU out of high school were Florida, Miami, Michigan State, Oregon, and Texas A&M. However, as a result of intraconference rules, Stone can’t transfer to another SEC school and be eligible to play in the fall.
The SEC’s intraconference rule means that the conference does not grant immediate eligibility to players who transfer within the conference during the spring transfer window. As a result, the sophomore defensive lineman would need to sit out the 2025 season if he moves on to another SEC program.
Earlier in the week, the 19-year-old posted a picture to his X account of his commitment day, which showed Miami, Michigan State, and OU hats.
Stone Made “Big Jump” As A Player
Stone believes that entering the transfer portal was the right decision for him. Despite the expectations that he would stay and be part of Sooners’ defensive line, he defended his decision to enter the transfer portal.
During his time at Oklahoma, Stone played 94 snaps on defense and generated six tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack. According to Pro Football Focus, Stone generated seven quarterback pressures. Stone (6-3, 313) was the No. 9 overall recruit in the country coming out of IMG Academy in the 2024 recruiting class, and he committed to the Sooners over the Hurricanes in a back-and-forth recruitment.
“I feel like this year I made the jump as a player, being able to dominate this space, whether it’s in life or football,” Stone stated during spring camp. “Like with my grades, I finished with SEC Honor Roll or whatever that was, I got that. That was a big accomplishment for me off the field.”
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“On the field, I’ve been killing it this spring. Winter workouts was a fun time for me. I’m up like 15, 20 pounds, moving better than ever. So those things, making those small improvements all over, has been a big part of my game so far.”
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