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Five-star defensive tackle David Stone commits to OU

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•08/26/23•

BPrzybylo

David Stone
David Stone (provided by Stone's social media).

It happened. David Stone committed to OU.

Take a breath, Oklahoma fans. The Sooners have felt confident on multiple elite defensive linemen in the last two years only to be stunned in the final hour.

This time around, head coach Brent Venables and company were able to close the show. Stone, a five-star defensive tackle, announced his commitment to OU on Saturday night during halftime of his game on ESPN2.

Stone is a five-star-plus prospect, meaning he is ranked as a five-star by every recruiting service. On3 has Stone at No. 13 overall. He is No. 8 in the industry composite.

A commitment more than two years in the making that featured all the twists and turns an OU fan had to tolerate and stomach.

Stone became a name to watch even before he arrived at Del City (Okla.) High. He quickly showed he was more than hype for the Eagles and was offered by OU in June 2021.

Following the departure of Lincoln Riley and his defensive staff, it didn’t take long for Venables, defensive tackles coach Todd Bates and company to get to work.

And it was work. Even though he was an in-state prospect for a considerable amount of time, it wasn’t always a slam dunk he would stay home. It was widely reported that some people in his camp believed leaving Oklahoma would be the best thing for him.

Stone did leave Oklahoma to be at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy for his final two high school seasons. But now he’ll be coming back home.

OU beat out Miami, Michigan State, Oregon and Texas A&M, among several others. Breaking it down even more, it felt like a two-horse battle between the Sooners and Hurricanes with the Spartans trying to be a factor.

The Sooners were always in the mix, but they had to constantly fight off other schools in this process. It has been vital for Venables and company to show Stone’s camp that he will be in safe hands in Norman.

This is the type of interior defensive line recruiting victory that has eluded OU in recent years. There is no other way to say it. David Hicks last class. Heck, No. 1 overall prospect for this cycle, Williams Nwaneri, earlier this month. OU fans have seen it before, feeling good only to get crushed.

It couldn’t happen with Stone. Not this time. It’s the type of recruit Sooner fans are expecting Bates to bring in on a regular basis.

Even though it felt like Stone had been recruiting for the 2024 OU class for months and months, you simply never know. Now he can recruit even more for the Sooners.

As just a sophomore at Del City, Stone was already being regarded as the state’s best interior prospect since Gerald McCoy. And a great thing about Stone has been his willingness to get better. To camp at OU even with the offers and take the teaching and keep improving.

He was a five-star as a sophomore, and he has been earning that right every single season. He is not even close to maxing out on his potential, another reason for excitement.

Stone is the 22nd commitment for OU’s class, and the first five-star. This summer was expected to be a big one on the trail, and it has been. For the 2024 and 2025 classes, the Sooners have cleaned up. But Stone just feels different.

A good different. One that will have OU fans puffing their chest out again as Stone is in as the crown jewel of a 2024 class that continues to be on the rise.

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