Sooners in the NFL: Former Sooner LB Danny Stutsman Shines in Preseason Week 2

OU legend Danny Stutsman had another big game for the New Orleans Saints in his second preseason contest.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Fewer Sooners entered their respective games in the second week of the NFL’s preseason — and that’s not overly surprising.

Teams usually rest their starters closer to the regular season. While certain former Sooner stars like Kyler Murray appeared in their teams’ preseason openers, they didn’t play in Week 2.

Still, plenty of former OU standouts saw game action this week.

Here are some notable performances:

Danny Stutsman, LB, New Orleans Saints

New Orleans Saints linebacker Danny Stutsman | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

For the second week in a row, four-year Sooner great Danny Stutsman looked like a force in New Orleans’ defense.

Stutsman finished Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with five tackles, three solo tackles and a pass deflection. His standout performance was even more impressive when you consider that Jacksonville started many of its key offensive players, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

His Week 2 outing followed a strong opener, when Stutsman finished with three tackles and two solo stops in the Saints’ 27-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

During his career at OU, Stutsman registered 376 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, eight sacks, eight pass deflections and four forced fumbles. He was a consensus All-American as a senior in 2024 and earned first-team all-conference honors in both 2023 and 2024.

Sterling Shepard, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Sterling Shepard has hit the decade mark in the NFL, and he was the Buccaneers’ leading receiver in the team’s 17-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Shepard finished the low-scoring game with three catches for 47 yards. Usual starter and former Sooner Baker Mayfield didn’t play in the game, so Teddy Bridgewater, Connor Bazelak and Kyle Trask were responsible for connecting with the Bucs’ wideouts. 

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Shepard signed with the Buccaneers after playing the first nine years of his professional career with the New York Giants. The wide receiver has totaled 4,429 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns throughout the first nine NFL seasons.

At Oklahoma, Shepard was a two-time First-Team All-Big 12 pick (2014 and 2015) and a First Team All-American in 2015.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Dillon Gabriel didn’t finish his college career at OU, but he was the Sooners’ starter for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Gabriel, who ended his college days at Oregon, made his preseason debut for the Cleveland Browns on Saturday, starting against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gabriel saw both highs and lows in his first outing. The quarterback completed 13 of 18 pass attempts for 143 yards in only the first half. But he also threw a pick-six and lost a fumble.

Gabriel is one of two rookies on the Browns’ roster, along with former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

During his two years as OU’s starter, Gabriel led the Sooners to a 16-8 record. He was a Heisman finalist for the Ducks in 2024, leading them to a 13-0 regular-season record and a Big Ten Championship.

Tony Jefferson, DB, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers safety Tony Jefferson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of two NFL squads that have already played three preseason games, as they battled the Detroit Lions in the Hall of Fame Game on July 31.

Ex-Sooner defensive back Tony Jefferson has played in three of Los Angeles’ three exhibition contests thus far, shining in each of them.

Most recently, Jefferson logged four tackles, two solo tackles and a pass deflection in the Chargers’ 23-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. 

Last week, Jefferson notched three tackles, two solo tackles and a sack against the Saints. And in the Hall of Fame Game, Jefferson had two solo tackles, an interception and a pass deflection.

Jefferson has played in the NFL since 2013, playing his first four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. Since leaving the Cardinals in 2016, Jefferson has played for the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants and the Chargers.

Jefferson played three seasons for the Sooners. He combined for 258 tackles across those seasons and declared for the NFL Draft after OU’s 2012 campaign, when Jefferson earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors.