How David Stone's commitment to Oklahoma football set tone for 2024 recruiting class

NORMAN — It didn’t take long into his signing day press conference that OU coach Brent Venables brought up the centerpiece of the Sooners’ class.

“I really love the defensive line,” Venables said. “And we’ve talked about that as being something where everything starts up front as the saying goes.

“And that couldn’t be more appropriate here.”

Five of the Sooners’ 27 signees Wednesday were on the defensive front, headlined by Del City native and No. 9 overall player in the 2024 class according to the 247Sports Composite, David Stone.

The Sooners’ inaugural SEC signing class was heavy on the trenches on both sides, but especially the defensive side.

And while Stone wasn’t the first of those defensive linemen to commit — Minnesota edge rusher Wyatt Gilmore and Stone’s IMG Academy teammate Jayden Jackson committed ahead of Stone’s Aug. 26 decision — it was Stone’s commitment that changed the trajectory of OU class as a whole.

More: OU football recruiting class 2024: Meet Danny Okoye, Oklahoma Sooners’ early signees

'Guys will follow' David Stone

Less than two weeks earlier, the Sooners had just missed out on the top defensive lineman in the class, Williams Nwaneri, who picked his home-state Missouri squad over the Sooners.

But Stone’s commitment gave the class a jolt and helped build momentum for one of the best defensive line classes for the Sooners over the last two decades.

“It’s probably one of the longest relationships that we’ve had,” Venables said of Stone. “He is a great leader. Guys will follow him. He’s got a tremendous respect, both in high school football and in the recruiting circles. You’re going to have some influence there along the way.”

In the weeks that followed Stone’s commitment, Nigel Smith II of Melissa, Texas, and Tulsa Danny Okoye — both top 150 recruits in the 2024 class — jumped on board.

Of the 32 defensive linemen ranked in the top 150 of the 247Sports Composite, 20 signed with SEC schools.

But though 13 conference schools signed those highly touted defensive linemen, only four — OU, Georgia, Texas A&M and Auburn — signed multiple top 150 players at the positions.

“It’s the law of supply and demand,” Venables said when asked about the difficulty of signing top-flight defensive linemen. “There’s just not as many of ’em, and it’s been that way since football became a sport. So rushing the passer, stopping the run, lines of scrimmage is where the game’s always been won and lost. So that’s not a new, revelating thing. There’s just not as many of ’em that are able to play at a really, really high level.”

More: Oklahoma football adds David Stone, Danny Okoye in 2024 class: Follow National Signing Day

David Stone's road from Del City to IMG Academy

After a promising start at Del City, Stone transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and thrived there.

“David is tremendously talented, but he has a lot of the right stuff that you want,” Venables said. “He’s got really endearing leadership qualities to him. He’s humble, hard-working, tough, really smart, articulate. He’s a leader of young men. Players follow him.”

At 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, Stone looks physically ready for the SEC.

But Venables cautioned about expecting too much too soon.

“I want to help all these guys take off all the burdens of expectation off your shoulders,” Venables said. “At some point in time, they’re going to show up here and just going to be 18 years old. All these guys, they’re just babies trying to figure out life. They don’t have all the answers. There’s a development piece that’s going to be very real. There’s going to be immediate challenges for each and every one of these young guys.”

It’s sometimes more difficult for young defensive linemen to have an immediate impact compares to positions like wide receiver and secondary, though Adepoju Adebawore, the top defensive lineman OU signed in last season’s class, appeared in 12 games this year, playing 177 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

Stone and Jayden Jackson, who isn’t as highly ranked but is also an IMG product, might have an upper hand toward finding the field quickly.

“They’re going to be very well-coached and have a little bit more of the mindset of what the routine in college looks like — the commitment and those types of things that day in and day out requires,” Venables said.

Venables called Okoye’s talent “freakish,” said Gilmore’s “got all the stuff that the great ones have” and praised Smith’s program as developing talent the way Allen (Texas) High School had a few years ago.

“We’ve got length, size and power,” Venables said. “It’s still a developmental game, but these are guys that have a tremendous foundation already.”

More: What OU football coach Brent Venables said about Sooners' 2024 recruiting class

OU football 2024 recruiting class

Here’s a look at the players who signed with OU football's 2024 on Wednesday:

• Name, Position, Height, Weight, Hometown (School)

• Josh Aisosa, OG, 6-3, 305, Edmond (Santa Fe)

• Daniel Akinkinmi, OT, 6-4, 310, Loughborough, England (NFL Academy)

• Isaiah Autry, OT, 6-7, 300, Fulton, Mississippi (Itawamba Agricultural)

• Michael Boganowski, S, 6-2, 205, Junction City, Kansas

• Eli Bowen, CB, 5-9, 165, Denton, Texas (Guyer)

• Eugene Brooks, OG, 6-4, 320, Chatsworth, California (Sierra Canyon)

• Ivan Carreon, WR, 6-6, 196, Odessa, Texas

• K.J. Daniels, WR, 5-9, 150, Franklinton, Louisiana

• Wyatt Gilmore, DE, 6-4, 240, Rogers, Minnesota (Rogers Senior)

• Jaydan Hardy, S, 5-11, 165, Lewisville, Texas

• Michael Hawkins, QB, 6-2, 195, McKinney, Texas (Frisco Emerson)

• Jayden Jackson, DT, 6-2, 300, Brownsburg, Indiana (IMG Academy)

• Devon Jordan, DB, 5-11, 168, Tulsa (Union)

• Zion Kearney, WR, 6-2, 210,Missouri City, Texas (Hightower)

• Davon Mitchell, TE, 6-4, 245, Los Alamitos, California

• James Nesta, DE, 6-4, 205, Cornelius, North Carolina (William Amos Hough)

• Jeremiah Newcombe, CB, 5-11, 175, Queen Creek, Arizona (Casteel)

• Danny Okoye, DE, 6-4, 241, Tulsa (NOAH)

• Mykel Patterson-McDonald, S, 5-9, 175, Moore (Westmoore)

• Eddy Pierre-Louis, OG, 6-4, 320, Tampa, Florida (Tampa Catholic)

• Reggie Powers, S, 6-1, 200, Dayton, Ohio (Centerville)

• Zion Ragins, WR, 5-7, 150, Gray, Georgia (Jones County)

• Xavier Robinson, RB, 6-2, 220, Midwest City (Carl Albert)

• David Stone, DT, 6-4, 275, Del City (IMG Academy)

• Nigel Smith II, DE, 6-5, 260, Melissa, Texas

• Taylor Tatum, RB, 5-10, 205, Longview, Texas

• Brendan Zurbrugg, QB, 6-4, 185, Alliance, Ohio

More: Why is David Stone signing with OU football's 2024 recruiting class? 'This is home'

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football recruiting needed David Stone's commitment to be SEC ready