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David Stone Withdraws From Transfer Portal, Returns to Oklahoma

The defensive tackle reversed course and will stay with the Sooners after entering the transfer portal on Friday.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone
Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone / Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI
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David Stone’s duration in the transfer portal was indeed a short one.

Oklahoma’s freshman defensive tackle reportedly entered the portal on Friday, and on Sunday it was reported — both times by On3’s Pete Nakos — that Stone has withdrawn his name from the portal.

Stone posted on Twitter/X 15 minutes later that he was indeed staying at OU.

"Sooner Nation after taking the necessary time & examining my options … I have removed my name from the portal & will be furthering my education & career at OU!!" Stone wrote. "Sooner Born…Sooner Bred… & when I die I’ll be Sooner dead!!"

Stone's entrance in the portal was all bad for Oklahoma football. Sunday's news, on the other hand, was all good.

Sources told Sooners On SI over the weekend that Stone’s tepid freshman season initiated a renegotiation of his NIL package — essentially a pay cut in December, and that Stone agreed.

Sources also said that Stone’s huge strides in winter workouts and in spring practice — in addition to the hiring of Jim Nagy as the Sooners’ new general manager — empowered Stone and his family to force OU to come back to the board room and renegotiate. Stone doubled his efforts in the weight room and added 18 pounds of muscle while actually looking leaner and performing quicker. His added bulk was the most of anyone on the team.

Oklahoma’s initial reaction, however, was to keep Stone at his adjusted financial agreement, but a rising tide of public support for Stone’s return caused Nagy, head coach Brent Venables and others in the OU camp to reconsider the situation.

The parties met twice over the weekend, according to a source, and so three days after entering the portal, Stone is a Sooner again.

Stone’s departure was seen as a black eye for the Oklahoma program, as it would have been yet another 5-star prospect either leaving early or flaming out, joining the likes of Rhett Bomar, Jackson Arnold, Caleb Williams, Spencer Rattler, Jadon Haselwood, Trejan Bridges, Trey Metoyer and others.

Stone, a 5-star recruit who grew up in Oklahoma City cheering for the Sooners, is just now finishing his true freshman year of college.

According to the 247 Sports database, Stone was ranked as the No. 8 all-time OU recruit behind Adrian Peterson, Bomar, Michael Fasusi, Williams, Haselwood, Tommie Harris and DeMarcus Granger. Per 247 Sports, he's the highest-rated recruit ever out of the state of Oklahoma.

Stone spoke with the media on April 2 and offered absolutely no clue that he was unhappy or disgruntled or looking to leave.

“I’ve been killing it this spring, winter workouts was a fun time for me,” he said. “I’m up like 15-20, pounds, moving better than ever. So those things, you know, making those small improvements, and you know, all over. It's been a big part of my game so far.”

Stone said then that the quality of his freshman season was impacted by things outside of football.

“I let a lot of things outside of football affect the way I was carrying myself,” Stone said. “But regardless of all that, I've done better. I've grown as a man. You know, Coach Bates has helped me a lot with that, with my family, being a bigger brother, those things like that. And it allows me to be that for the team. I have a lot of younger guys here, so being able to give them game on how to become a better player is something I take pride in as a as a human being.” 

Stone's position coach, Todd Bates, took to Twitter/X on Sunday night to express his gratitude and appreciation for Stone.

"Choosing a university to attend is one of biggest decisions you’ll ever make," Bates wrote. "Fans love this game … but many never experience the pain or challenges that players go through especially in this new era of college football. Love for somebody comes out as hate when you are hurt & thinking about what you are losing.

"We are blessed to have David Stone AKA Agent 0 continuing here, and I know SOONER NATION will embrace him as you did when he chose to be a SOONER out of high school. Boomer!!"

With his future now directly in front of him, it is widely expected that Stone will compete for snaps with senior Damonic Williams, fellow sophomore Jayden Jackson and junior Gracen Halton. As a true freshman last season, Stone played only 94 snaps in 2024.

After coming to OU from IMG Academy in Florida, the 6-foot-3, 313-pound Stone played in all 13 games last season as part of OU’s improved defensive line rotation and made six tackles with 2.0 tackles for loss and one quarterback sack.

College football's spring transfer portal window opened on Wednesday and this year runs through April 25. Coming regulations are expected to be introduced soon that will allow just one transfer portal period, likely a January window after college football bowl games are concluded.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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