Danny Stutsman 2023 Fall Camp Interview 8-14-23

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Danny Stutsman 2023 Fall Camp Interview 8-14-23
Transcript
00:00 >> A few practices in the fall camp, just how's it feel to be back out here?
00:03 >> Man, summer's a long time, but it goes by quick.
00:06 It's really great to be out with all the guys, man,
00:08 just getting that good on good work.
00:10 But it's really a blessing.
00:10 >> You and Jaren, is this a sword or is this practice related?
00:16 >> No, I caught a katana to the face.
00:18 >> Yeah. >> And it got me when I wasn't looking.
00:20 But all reality, just this rugby field, things are a little bit different.
00:23 But you can't be the Mike linebacker, Will linebacker without a little cut on
00:27 your face.
00:27 It's just something I've adapted.
00:30 >> Seriousness though, how are those younger guys coming along?
00:32 Not just Jaren, but Kobe and Kim.
00:34 >> Absolutely, man, especially those freshmen that have just gone on campus in
00:37 the summer.
00:37 Man, they've improved so fast, man.
00:40 I look at it like a proud father.
00:42 Grandpa Venables gets on him, but I'm always there.
00:45 I got their back, and they've made so much improvement, man.
00:48 And it's a little learning curve, going to Coach Venables, and
00:51 the way he teaches a young player that's in the program.
00:54 But they've been handling it so well.
00:56 The vast majority of my team's on state one.
00:58 It's great.
00:59 >> What were kind of your first impressions of guys like Lewis and Samuel?
01:04 >> Man, those guys are talented.
01:05 They're young, they're hungry.
01:06 But especially Lewis, man, we play the same position.
01:09 It's been great to see a guy like that where his instincts are off the chart, man.
01:12 He's got a nose for the football.
01:14 I kind of see myself when I look into a guy like that.
01:16 So it's just someone I always want to take under my wing and
01:18 kind of be his lifeline.
01:20 >> Danny has been talked about a lot, just you taking leadership out of the linebacker
01:24 group and the defense as a whole.
01:25 Maybe just after a few practices.
01:27 Does it feel any different?
01:28 Are you going into these practices any different, more for
01:31 leadership aspect?
01:32 What does that look like?
01:33 >> When you try something as a leader, you can't bring that intensity down any bit.
01:37 Coach Venables is a tremendous drop, always being 2-12.
01:40 And so that's something when you step on this field, you can't have an off day.
01:43 Everyone looks up to you to set the standard.
01:44 So you gotta push through that wall.
01:46 Those days when you're tired, might your body hurt, you gotta find a way to get
01:50 past that cuz everyone's looking out to you and
01:51 you gotta be a spark plug for the defense.
01:53 >> Does it come, does it feel like pressure to have those?
01:55 Expectations to try to get there, or is it exciting in a way?
01:58 >> I mean, it's kind of exciting.
02:00 Pressure's there, but pressure forms diamonds.
02:03 All the greats have the pressure and they've all managed it.
02:05 I wanna be another one of those guys.
02:07 >> How's it feel to bring, but what's it like to have a spouse down here?
02:11 >> Tremendous person, man.
02:12 Someone with that much knowledge, the younger side of it, it's awesome.
02:15 [BLANK_AUDIO]
02:20 >> Well, just overall, I mean, defensively, what have you seen from that linebacker
02:23 group?
02:23 I'm talking about the young guys, but maybe how does it compare to last year?
02:26 Are you seeing what you're wanting to see out of that group?
02:29 >> Absolutely, comparing last year, looking at it with a new system,
02:33 the kind of guys are slow to pick things up.
02:34 And now that we have guys that have already been in the system for a little bit,
02:38 and able to kind of teach those younger guys, it makes the transition so
02:41 much easier for those guys that are just now coming in.
02:43 We've already kind of laid the foundation for them, so
02:46 they can just take our stepping stones and just learn so much faster.
02:50 >> Brent talked at Big Toby EJ's a lot about some of the player-led kind of
02:54 walkthroughs and stuff that you guys went through.
02:56 At what point did you realize, I'm actually able to run this myself, and
03:01 you actually get good work out of it, as opposed to kind of feeling lost,
03:04 and stuff like that?
03:05 >> Yeah, I mean, coming in, I always had a guy like Justin Broils or
03:08 Pat Fields that were older guys that had been in the program.
03:11 And then they kind of knew the consistency, the tempo.
03:14 And then when Code V came in, it's a whole new system that you have to learn.
03:17 And then kind of just having that experience and
03:19 knowing what it looks like, and now I can go out by myself, get all the guys together.
03:22 And we have other leaders that are helping us,
03:24 where we know what it looks like, where we can do it by ourselves.
03:27 >> Is that kind of the biggest area of gains you felt like you guys had this
03:30 summer, is being able to continue that work through the spring on your own?
03:34 >> Absolutely, I think last year, looking back at it, we were so
03:37 new to the system, it's hard.
03:39 You can't be around the coaches 24/7.
03:41 But now with the leaders that have stepped up,
03:43 it's like we're kind of manager coaches when they can't be around.
03:46 >> Okay, so just to go back to group, how do you think you guys did on Saturday?
03:51 >> I think I saw a lot of good things, a lot of bad things.
03:53 Offensive, defense went back and forth.
03:55 There's a lot of stuff we can look at, but
03:57 you gotta look at the stuff we did wrong and make improvements on that.
03:59 Coach Hannibals looks at the film and he's gonna critique.
04:02 Even on those good plays, there's still mistakes.
04:04 When you're always chasing excellence, it's hard.
04:06 You can never really reach that, but that's what the standard is.
04:09 >> Talking about that scrimmage on Saturday,
04:11 maybe what stood out to you about the offense?
04:13 And even after a few practices, what stood out to you about that group?
04:16 >> Man, Coach Levy really has that tempo down, getting out there.
04:19 We're out here, we do a few plays of tempo, but
04:21 when it's a full scrimmage, it's a different deal.
04:23 So it's really nice to get that tempo, cuz it's really the fastest in the country.
04:26 So we bring the different pressures, and they've adjusted that, and
04:29 they bring the tempo, and we have to adjust to that.
04:31 >> The defensive line being so much bigger, what does that do for you guys,
04:35 especially when you're defending the run as far as your responsibilities,
04:39 kind of that second level?
04:40 >> Yeah, I mean, they eat up double teams, eat up blocks, so
04:42 it really cleans up our job.
04:44 When they're getting that push, they're getting that knockback,
04:46 it makes it real easy for the linebackers to fit their gaps and
04:48 know their responsibilities and see their keys.
04:50 >> Is that different from last year, not being able to do anything wrong,
04:52 when you have so much more beef?
04:54 >> Well, they are bigger, but also they also have a more understanding of the
04:58 knowledge of the playbook.
04:59 Those stunts that are designed for them to free them up,
05:01 they have a better understanding of their steps.
05:03 They've been under Coach Bates, who have, Coach James,
05:05 that's really taught them the technique that needs to run that type of defense.
05:08 >> You talked, I was gonna ask, what's the impression for
05:11 the freshman here, Lewis and Sammy?
05:14 >> Yeah, like I said earlier, those are two guys, especially Taylor,
05:17 who I'm gonna give a little, I was actually running him a little bit, but
05:20 he had a great, great scrimmage from him, coming out there ready at an interception,
05:24 big PBU playing deep.
05:25 Those are guys that can run, man.
05:27 It's especially having older guys, we know what it looks like now, and
05:30 having dudes that come in here hungry to learn.
05:32 They're always just soaking up knowledge, man, really sponges those games.
05:35 >> Along those lines, you talked a little bit about Jaren earlier, but
05:38 just a little bit more about him from last year to this year.
05:40 Maybe where have you seen him grow the most?
05:42 What are the expectations for him?
05:44 >> Yeah, I mean, last year he was really just a high school quarterback.
05:46 So now he's had a few months under Coach Vanables,
05:50 he's really transitioned to a real actual Oklahoma linebacker.
05:53 It's great to see it like that with him and Kobe,
05:55 have really developed and to be such great players.