How have Jayden Jackson and David Stone looked this spring?

NORMAN — It's been a often-asked question throughout Oklahoma's spring practices.

Are Jayden Jackson and David Stone standing out?

The duo at defensive tackle has been the primary focus among the Sooners' true freshman. Despite it being one of Oklahoma's best recruiting classes in recent memory, there's plenty of reasons why Stone and Jackson have been the focal points. For one, Stone was a five-star prospect and one of the more highly-touted recruits in program history. Jackson was a four-star prospect and came into spring practices weighing 295 pounds, giving the Sooners much-needed size on the defensive line.

That early buzz has only continued as spring practices have progressed. Both players — particularly Jackson — have seen substantial time on the field and alongside the first-string defense. Stone, who was officially listed at 283 pounds on OU's spring roster, has added nearly 15 pounds since practices began.

The 2024 season is still months away, but their continued development is critical. The Sooners lost several key players from last year's defensive tackle rotation, including Isaiah Coe, Jonah Laulu and Jordan Kelley, and even though veterans like Da'Jon Terry, Davon Sears and Gracen Halton are back in the fold, there is a very possible path to playing time for the freshman duo.

In fact, it might not just be possible. The Sooners might genuinely need Jackson and Stone to play meaningful snaps as freshman.

Saturday's spring game (1 p.m. ESPN+) will offer fans their first glimpse at Jackson and Stone on the field. As the Sooners prepare for their exhibition, here's a look at how they've impressed their coaches and teammates so far:

"Ambitious, confident, tough — what they just went through, there’s nothing easy about it. So, that gives me reason to believe that, alright, they’re big, they’re strong, they’re powerful, they've got good quickness. They have a little bit of development to their game from a fundamental and a toolbox standpoint, and if they’re willing to continue to be committed to becoming contributors, if that commitment maintains through the course of the spring and the summer and fall camp, all that kind of thing, then I know they’ll have a chance to be contributors for us. That’s the expectation. That’s the hope. I think that makes us better.

"They both play D-tackle; Jayden will start out at nose guard, but he can play the three-technique both mentally and physically, and he’s skilled to do that. Some things he’s better at; some things David might be better at. But they’ve been really good as far as young guys figuring out the pace and the tempo, the competitive stamina that you have to have to go through the things that they did.

"There’s not a more humble, hardworking guy on our team than David Stone right now. And he’d be the first to tell you, ‘Man I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot to get better at.’ But man he’s showing up every day with that mindset. That’s how you do it. And we try to recruit that. We try to be very intentional about that. And sometimes you just get lucky."

"They are two young freshmen who are hungry. You can tell that they are fighting for a spot. You can tell that they came to be people who could just produce for the team, whether that’s instant or later. But they know that they still have to be developed. But the future is very bright for them."

"It's been great. They're gonna be great. They're learning every day, getting in the book every night. We got group chats, we're tryna get right."

"David Stone and Jayden Jackson, those are two legit guys. They came in here with really high expectations and they have done nothing but exceed those expectations, which has bene phenomenal. They’ve been making plays since day one.

They make plays and they’re explosive. They’re really good pad level, especially Jaden. They get off the ball quick and David’s really good. His hands are really good and he has a plethora of moves that he uses. It works against the veteran linemen and I’m really (excited) to see how it transitions later on."

"Jayden Jackson and David Stone, they're amazing players for real. They were highly rated for a reason. They're amazing players. Just the flashes and things that they're doing, it's crazy to see them doing that as freshmen... Every practice they've been dominating. So it's really been amazing to see them grow the way they grow.

David, he's fast. He's strong. He's stronger than I thought. He's faster than I thought. So he's an amazing player. He's just got great football instincts. So stuff you just can't teach. He's just natural with it. He just plays. I really can't even explain it. He's a great player. He's just instinctive."