Trio of Oklahoma Sooners invited to NFL Combine

Posted by author February 14, 2025 NFL

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Three former Oklahoma Sooners have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, which begins later this month.

Linebacker Danny Stutsman, safety Billy Bowman, and defensive end Ethan Downs all had excellent careers at OU and chose to come back for their senior seasons in 2024. They were three of Oklahoma’s best players last season and are all trying to improve their draft stock for April’s NFL Draft.

All three players were part of the 2021 recruiting class, which ended up being the final class for former head coach Lincoln Riley and former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. After their first seasons in Norman, Riley and Grinch boarded a plane for Southern California.

But Stutsman, Bowman and Downs stayed loyal to the Sooners and new head coach Brent Venables. They helped build the foundation of the Venables era in Norman with their commitment to the program.

Stutsman will go down as one of Oklahoma’s best defensive players over the last fifteen years. He was an excellent leader and a tackling machine at inside linebacker. His vocal presence in the middle of OU’s defense will be missed in a big way moving forward.

Bowman was a phenomenal playmaker who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. The Sooners needed his ability to create turnovers and score when the ball was in his hands, and he delivered.

Downs was a steady force who improved every year that he was in Norman. His technique, consistency, and effort were always something Venables and the defensive coaching staff could depend on. He played some of his best football in the biggest moments of his Oklahoma career. The NFL Scouting Combine takes place from February 27th to March 2nd in Indianapolis.