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

NORMAN — Football has already taken David Stone far.

The Oklahoma City native spent the first two years of his high school career at Del City before he transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. It's a powerhouse program that travels like a professional team, scheduling road games in states such as Tennessee, Indianapolis and Maryland.

But as Stone prepares to sign his National Letter of Intent to OU during Wednesday's National Signing Day, the five-star defensive lineman knew where he wanted to be.

Stone will hold his Signing Day ceremony in Norman. It'll take place at 9:45 p.m. inside Sooner Daiquiri.

Stone's return to the state of Oklahoma is fitting for the well-traveled standout, who never forgot where home is.

"It was everything to him," said Elika Osagie, Stone's mother. "This is home for David. This is David's heart. That's why it was very important for him to come back here and do this for himself. He wanted to be here, genuinely."

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RECRUITING CLASS: Check out the bios for players in OU football's 2024 signing class

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TAKEAWAYS: What OU football coach Brent Venables said about 2024 recruiting class

How David Stone grew into top college football prospect

Stone stood out the day he arrived at Del City in 2020.

He was a 6-foot-4, 250-pound freshman. And while his game still needed polishing, it wasn't hard to see his potential.

"His feet hadn't caught up with his size yet, so he was kind of clumsy," Del City head coach Robert Jones said. "But you saw his size, and that's not normal for a 14-year-old kid."

Stone held a modest role as a freshman on a Del City team that had an experienced defensive line. He recorded 19 tackles (eight for loss) and one sack in six games.

But Stone established himself as one of the better players in his class prior to the start of his sophomore season. He traveled to Atlanta in June 2021 to participate in the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge, and he got named Defensive Line MVP.

Stone then recorded 47 tackles (16 for loss) and nine sacks as a sophomore before he transferred to IMG Academy. It wasn't an easy decision for Stone to leave home for the first time, but it was an opportunity to compete against elite talent.

"Even sending him off the IMG was like sending him off to college for me," Osagie said. "That was sending him away from home and everything he knows."

More: OU football signing day tracker: Sooners signees, 2024 recruiting class rankings & more

David Stone's time at IMG Academy

Stone thrived away from home.

He helped IMG Academy go 8-1 in his junior season by recording 50 tackles (18 for loss) and five sacks.

Stone became a consensus five-star prospect, and 247 Sports ranks him as the No. 9 overall player in his class. He chose OU on Aug. 26 over programs such as Michigan State, Miami, Florida and Oregon.

It's a decision that felt right for Stone, who grew close with members of OU's staff.

"I definitely wanted character for the coach," Osagie said when asked what she looked for during the recruiting process. "That makes a difference for me because I feel like they're going to be the main person raising my child. As a parent, that's all I was looking for.

"I think David created bonds with (defensive tackles coach) Todd Bates. He's a great man and a great coach."

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OU also made sense in other ways for Stone.

He'll get to be around his sister, who's currently attending OU on an academic scholarship. Stone also hopes to be a surgeon one day, and OU checked off the boxes for his academic aspirations.

"Even throughout the recruiting process, we tried to make sure those (academic) goals stay aligned with him," Osagie said. "And that's what I'm proud of him for. I cannot explain how proud I am of him. That's everything."

But most importantly, OU is home for Stone.

And while he has traveled around the country and gained national attention throughout his high school career, he's eager to make his return to Oklahoma official on Wednesday.

"I'm excited for him," Osagie said. "I know that right now he has the emotion of getting to the next chapter in life. That's what we're looking forward to. ... I know that he's definitely ready and excited for this moment."

More: Brent Venables' 'inside-out' recruiting approach for OU football resonates with HS coaches

OU football 2024 recruiting class

Here’s a look at the players committed to OU for football in the class of 2024:

• 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, DL, 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

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football recruit David Stone set for National Signing Day in Norman