SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Dante Stills
Dante Stills (Fairmont, W.Va.) joined the Mountaineer football team as a true freshman in 2018. Following his brother Darius, the younger Stills made a name for himself almost off the jump. He was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic and ESPN.com. By the conclusion of the season, Dante had registered 16 tackles (13 solo) for the year, three sacks, six tackles for loss and a team lead-tying two forced fumbles.
The next season, Stills started three games at defensive end. By sophomore year, Stills was a massive contributor to the defensive push; he lead the team with seven sacks and ended at No. 2 with 11.5 TFLs. His sacks per game (0.58) ranked No. 4 in the Big 12.
2020 brought more of the same for the DE. He was named All-Big 12 Conference First Team (Pro Football Focus & Phil Steele) and All-Big 12 Conference Second Team (AP) after starting all 10 games. Through the aforementioned 10 games, Stills collected 35 tackles (15 solo), one fumble recovery, a blocked kick, and two pass breakups; he saw action on 506 defensive snaps and 42 special teams plays.
Stills' junior season, he had become a force in the Big 12 Conference. He shifted over to defensive tackle, but it didn't change his productivity. He was named to the All-Big 12 First Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele) and ranked No. 3 in program history in career TFLs (43.5) and tied for No. 6 in sacks (19). His junior stats read 36 tackles (29 solo), seven sacks, 15 TFLs, six quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, and an interception.
His fifth year with the Mountaineers, Stills was determined to end his WVU career on a high note. Through 10 games, he has registered 24 tackles (13 solo), nine TFLs for 45 yards, 4.5 sacks for 36 yards, two forced fumbles, a trio of quarterback hurries, one pass breakup, and one blocked kick.
In his Mountaineer career, Stills has 136 tackles (84 solo), 52.5 TFLs for 250 yards, 23.5 sacks for 177 yards, five pass deflections, six forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.
Stills will end his career in the gold and blue as the program's sole TFLs leader.
2021 (Jr.)
- All-Big 12 First Team (AP, Coaches, Phil Steele)
- Sits No. 3 in program history in career TFLs (43.5) and tied for No. 6 in sacks (19)
- His 15 tackles for loss in 2021 are tied for No. 10 in single-season team history
- Played in 13 games and started 12 at defensive tackle
- Finished with 36 tackles, including 29 solo stops, seven sacks, 15 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one interception
- Recorded at least one tackle for loss in 10 of 13 games
- Finished at No. 4 in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (1.15)
- Ranked No. 10 in the Big 12 in sacks (0.54)
- Had four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack, against Minnesota in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl
- Had 1.5 tackles for loss against Texas
- Tied his season best with four tackles at Kansas State, including the 100th of his career
- Had two total tackles against Oklahoma State, one of them for loss
- Also tallied his first career interception against the Cowboys
- Finished with four tackles against Iowa State, including a sack and forced fumble
- Had two tackle for loss and a sack as part of a four-tackle night at TCU
- Registered a tackle for loss as one of his two tackles at Baylor
- Had a pair of sacks against Texas Tech; finished with four total tackles and three tackles for loss on the day
- Lone tackle at Oklahoma was a sack
- Tallied a tackle for loss against LIU
- Opened the season with three tackles, including a sack, at Maryland
2020 (COVID)
- Started all 10 games at defensive end
- Saw action on 506 defensive snaps and 42 special teams plays
- Season-high 78 plays against Baylor, including 71 defensive snaps
- All-Big 12 Conference First Team (Pro Football Focus, Phil Steele)
- All-Big 12 Conference Second Team (AP)
- Pro Football Focus Honorable Mention All-America
- Tied for No. 11 in the Big 12 in tackles for loss (10.5)
- Had at least a share of a tackle for loss in nine of 10 games
- Finished with 35 tackles, including 15 solo stops, one fumble recovery, a blocked kick and two pass breakups
- Capped season with four tackles, including two TFLs against Army in the Liberty Bowl
- Made four tackles at Iowa State
- Tallied a TFL against TCU
- Totaled three tackles at Texas with a shared TFL and a pass breakup
- Recorded a sack as part of a three-tackle day against Kansas State
- Big day at Texas Tech included a career-high seven tackles, including two TFLs and a sack
- Also tallied his first career fumble recovery against the Red Raiders
- Assisted on three tackles against Kansas and shared a TFL
- Tallied a TFL to go with three tackles against Baylor; also blocked a field goal
- Finished with four tackles and a TFL at Oklahoma State
- Made three tackles against Eastern Kentucky, including 1.5 TFLs
2019 (So.)
- Earned All-Big 12 Second-Team honors
- Played in 12 games at defensive end and started three
- Saw action in 487 plays, including 447 defensive snaps
- Used on 30 or more plays in 11 games, including a season-high 61 plays against NC State
- Tied for the WVU lead with seven sacks and was second in tackles for loss with 11.5
- Finished the season with 24 tackles, including 14 solos stops, a forced fumble and a pass breakup
- Tied for No. 4 in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.58)
- Also ranks No. 10 in the league in tackles for loss per game (0.96)
- Team leader in career sacks (10)
- Also tied for the team lead in career tackles for loss (18.0)
- Posted his seventh sack of the season against Oklahoma State
- Registered two tackles, including one tackle for loss, at Kansas State
- Finished with three tackles and tied his career high in sacks (2) at Baylor
- Had three tackles at Kansas, including a sack and forced fumble
- Registered three tackles, including two sacks, against NC State in his first career start
- Defensive Player of the Week - NC State
- Recorded three tackles at Missouri, including 1.5 tackles for loss
- Led WVU with two tackles for loss, including a sack, against James Madison; finished with three tackles
2018 (Fr.)
- The Athletic Freshman All-America
- ESPN.com Freshman All-America
- Registered 16 tackles for the year, including 13 solo stops, three sacks, six tackles for loss and two forced fumbles
- Tied for the team lead in forced fumbles (2)
- Ranked No. 3 on the WVU defense in sacks (3)
- Finished with a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry against Syracuse in the Camping World Bowl
- Notched one assisted stop and assisted on a tackle for loss against Oklahoma
- Tallied two solo stops and set a career high in tackles for loss (2) vs. TCU
- Recorded one solo stop vs. Texas
- Set career highs in solo tackles (3) and total tackles (3) against Baylor
- Registered two total tackles against Iowa State, including a solo stop and a TFL
- Tallied two solo stops against Kansas
- Finished with two tackles, including one for loss, a sack and a forced fumble against Youngstown State
- Made career debut as a true freshman vs. Tennessee
High School
- Three-time Class AA All-State performer for coach Nick Bartic and J.L. Abbott at Fairmont Senior High School
- Named defensive captain and a first-team selection of the 2017 West Virginia AA All-State team
- Also a first-team All-State selection as a junior and a second team All-State selection as a sophomore
- Named a 2017 Under Armour All-American
- Led the Polar Bears to consecutive state runner-up finishes in 2016 and 2017
- Team finished 12-2 overall and 8-0 in its conference in 2017
- Collected 81 tackles, 31.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a senior
- As a junior, he collected 75 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 quarterback sacks
- Four-time member of the Times West Virginian All-Area football team
- Ranked as the state’s No. 1 prospect by ESPN, rivals and 247Sports
Personal
- Son of Gary Stills and Janeen Floyd
- One of three children
- Brother, Darius, was a Consensus All-American and All-Big 12 defensive lineman at WVU
- Father was an All-Big East linebacker at WVU for Hall of Fame coach Don Nehlen, before enjoying a successful pro career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams
- Majoring in multidisciplinary studies
- Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
- Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll
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