NORMAN — Danny Stutsman, Billy Bowman and Ethan Downs didn't do much at OU's Pro Day on Tuesday after all three had standout performances at the NFL Combine.

That gave the other 14 participants a chance to shine. Trace Ford took that opportunity and ran with it.

The former OU defensive end was stellar in the Sooners' showcase to NFL scouts. Notably, he recorded 10' 2'' broad jump, a 36'' vertical jump, a 4.55-second 40-yard dash, a 4.43-second shuttle drill and a 7.17-second three-cone drill — all incredibly solid numbers across the board. His shuttle and three-cone drill times would have ranked fifth among all defensive ends at the NFL Combine.

It was a great showing for Ford. But most importantly, he wanted to show he was healthy after a six-year college career that included several knee injuries.

"I wanted to show them I was healthy and my knees are fluid and I can move fast, still," Ford said. "I think that was the biggest concern going into today. If I could be healthy, I thought I could show them that, so that was my goal."

After an injury-plagued tenure at Oklahoma State, Ford was solid in his two seasons with the Sooners. He played in all 26 games while logging 657 snaps, spending time at both defensive end, linebacker and the cheetah position. He had standout moments in 2024, finishing with 22 tackles, four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

He credits OU coach Brent Venables and defensive ends coach Miguel Chaviz for preparing him for the NFL. Now, he's hoping that his Pro Day performance will encourage teams to take a chance on him.

"The stats don't prove it, but I learned to stop the run a lot better here at OU," Ford said. "I learned a lot about technique, playing a four-tech, playing at cheetah, playing on the edge. I owe a lot to Venables and Chavis just teaching me the system. I didn't know what coverages were before getting to OU. I didn't know schemes. I didn't know what a 'hot blitz' meant. My knowledge of the game grew tremendously being here the last two years."

Full results from OU's Pro Day can be found here.

Stutsman's former linebacker partner has made the transition to tight end this spring.

Stutsman joked that he's confident he could cover Kanak defensively, but said he's excited for Kanak's move to the offense.

"It's a pretty good move for him," Stutsman said. "He busts his tail more than anyone. Right now, he's really just adjusting to it and figuring out what it takes to be a good tight end."

Downs was primarily focused on meeting with different NFL teams and schedule private workouts on Tuesday after solid showing at the Combine earlier this month. Downs said some teams are looking at him to maybe even play on offense as a tight end or a full back.

Downs also reflected on his senior year and his time at OU.

"Kind of bittersweet that it's coming to an end, and I want to go all in. The team was mine," Downs said. "It's different when you're a freshman coming in and your perspective's like, 'What can OU give me? How can OU make me the big deal?' I was selfish compared to senior now. It was, what can I give to OU? I don't have much time left, what can I give back?

"When the hourglass is in your face every single day, you want to make the most of every day, and that's easy to do. That was my mindset all senior year."

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