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Oklahoma's David Stone is Embracing a Massive Leadership Role in 2026

One of the team captains for 2026 had to learn his leadership style during the offseason, but now he's prepared to be the face of the program.
Brady Trantham|
Oklahoma defensive linemen Adepoju Adebawore (34) and David Stone (0) look on at a practice during fall camp.
Oklahoma defensive linemen Adepoju Adebawore (34) and David Stone (0) look on at a practice during fall camp. | Carson Field / Sooners On SI

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Oklahoma Sooners

NORMAN — As Oklahoma opens fall camp, roughly a dozen questions loom over the program heading into 2026. One other question deserves attention, though it likely won’t be the topic of debate around the office water cooler Monday morning.

Team captains are the heartbeat of a program — they set the tone. OU has yet to reveal its captains for the year. But David Stone did everyone a favor and broke some news.

"This is my first ever time being a captain of any team," Stone said after the Sooners' third Fall Camp practice. "I told the guys, 'I’m grateful for the opportunity that you guys are giving me. I know it comes with a lot of weight, so I’m going to try to live up to that.'"

Stone knew quickly that he had revealed something he shouldn't have. But more importantly, he revealed that his growth as a leader did not come by default.

"Honestly, I struggled at first," Stone said.

Stone missed Oklahoma's spring practices to rehab an injury. He was as involved as he could have been — so much so that Todd Bates would often ask him to go back to the side as he attempted to sneak in a rep.

Still, Stone prefers to lead from the front line, not the sideline. It led to some minor struggles internally for him during the offseason.

"Early on in the spring, I kind of struggled being a leader, because I wasn’t actively in the role with the guys. I wasn’t on the field with them. But I had to learn how to be a vocal leader to the guys, and so it really challenged me from a leadership role," Stone said.

Nevertheless, Stone has persevered through injury rehabilitation and bouts of imposter syndrome during the offseason to become one of the unquestioned faces of the program.

"I listened to the feedback from the guys — I’m trying to get feedback so I can better be that leader for (the team) and push (them) to be their best version. And so for me it was really just learning how to adapt my style of leadership and grow as a player and overall person," Stone said.

Stone’s growth from simply trying to get on the field as a freshman — when he “struggled mentally dealing with all the pressure” — to leading the 2026 Sooners from the front symbolizes the program's climb back from the abyss it fell into in 2024.

"We have a common goal, it’s to be great, dominant," Stone said.

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Brady Trantham
BRADY TRANTHAM

Brady Trantham covered the Oklahoma City Thunder as the lead Thunder Insider from 2018 until 2021 for 107.7 The Franchise. During that time, Trantham also helped the station as a fill-in guest personality and co-hosted Oklahoma Sooner postgame shows. Trantham also covered the Thunder for the Norman Transcript and The Oklahoman on a freelance basis. He received his BA in history from the University of Oklahoma in 2014 and a BS in Sports Casting from Full Sail University in 2023. Trantham also founded and hosts the “Through the Keyhole” podcast, covering Oklahoma Sooners football. He was born in Oklahoma and raised as an Air Force brat all over the world before returning to Norman and setting down roots there.

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