Drake Stoops Bio
Drake Stoops (born June 16, 1999) is an American professional football wide receiver who plays for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League. He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 2024. He comes from one of the most recognized families in college football coaching, with his father, Bob Stoops, having built a championship résumé at Oklahoma.
Standing 5 feet 10 inches tall and listed around 186 pounds, Stoops is a compact, reliable possession receiver whose route running and hands have defined his game. Although he was lightly recruited out of high school, he worked his way into a significant role with the Sooners, finishing his college career as a respected contributor and team leader before pursuing the professional ranks.
Early Life and Background
Drake Stoops was born on June 16, 1999, in Norman, Oklahoma, the long-time home of the Oklahoma Sooners football program. He grew up around the sport because his father, Bob Stoops, served as the head coach of the Sooners from 1999 to 2016, a tenure that included a national championship in 2000 and multiple conference titles. Football was a daily presence in the Stoops household, and both Drake and his brother Isaac were drawn to the game from an early age.
Stoops attended Norman North High School, the same Norman public school his brother attended, where he became one of the most productive receivers in the state. As a junior, he caught 86 passes for 1,536 yards and 20 touchdowns, helping lead Norman North to the state championship game. In his senior year, he added 67 catches for 1,093 yards and 15 touchdowns in only ten games, finishing his prep career with 201 receptions for 3,390 yards and 39 touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team all-state selection by The Oklahoman.
Rated as a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals, Stoops drew scholarship offers from Air Force, Iowa, Memphis, Ohio, and Western Kentucky. He chose to follow his father’s program and enrolled at Oklahoma as a preferred walk-on.
Path to American Football
Arriving at Oklahoma alongside his brother Isaac, also a wide receiver, Drake quickly found that the road to playing time would not be automatic. Isaac left the team before their freshman season, but Drake remained. Head coach Lincoln Riley later noted that Stoops was not heavily recruited because of his size and lack of elite track speed, while also acknowledging that his famous last name created extra attention. Despite the skepticism, Stoops carved out a role on special teams and as a reserve receiver through consistent work in practice.
His walk-on story became a talking point in Norman when, in his very first college game, he caught two passes for 16 yards against Florida Atlantic and is believed to be the first true Sooner freshman walk-on to record a catch in a season opener. That appearance marked the beginning of a steady climb up the Sooners depth chart and the foundation for a scholarship he would later earn.
Drake Stoops Career
Early Career (2018–2020)
As a freshman in 2018, Stoops appeared in the first two games of the season and made an early impression with his debut catches. The following year, as a sophomore, he played in all 14 games as a reserve receiver and punt returner, finishing with eight receptions for 95 yards. He recorded his first significant postseason moment in the 2019 Peach Bowl against LSU, catching two passes for a then career-high 28 yards.
In 2020, with CeeDee Lamb departed for the NFL, Stoops stepped into a larger role, playing in 10 games with seven starts. He finished the shortened season with 15 receptions for 219 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long 51-yard scoring catch against Kansas State. He delivered one of the most dramatic plays of the year in a four-overtime win against Texas, hauling in a 20-yard game-winning touchdown from Spencer Rattler. After the spring game, head coach Lincoln Riley awarded Stoops a scholarship ahead of the 2021 season, validating years of work as a walk-on.
Oklahoma Sooners Breakthrough (2021–2023)
As a junior in 2021, Stoops posted 16 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns despite missing three games. He set a season highlight with three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown against Texas Tech. The year ended memorably when his father, former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, returned to lead the team as interim head coach for the 2021 Alamo Bowl, giving father and son a one-game reunion on the Sooners sideline. Drake caught a touchdown pass in that bowl game under his dad.
Under new head coach Brent Venables in 2022, Stoops started ten of 13 games and tied for second on the team with 39 receptions for 393 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs at the time. He set a personal best with six catches for 89 yards and a score against Oklahoma State and matched that catch total a week later against Texas Tech. In 2023, he earned First-team All-Big 12 honors, capping his college career as one of the conference’s most trusted possession receivers.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2024–Present)
Stoops signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2024, beginning his professional career in the same league that employs many of college football’s top receivers. He was also selected by the Arlington Renegades, the UFL team coached by his father Bob Stoops, in the 10th round of the 2024 UFL draft on July 17, although he remained focused on his NFL opportunity. After being waived on August 27, he quickly rejoined the Rams on their practice squad, where he continued his development through the 2024 season.
On January 20, 2025, Stoops signed a reserve/future contract with the Rams, securing his place on the offseason roster. As part of the team’s final cuts heading into the 2025 season, he was waived on August 26, 2025, a common transaction for young players who remain on the organization’s radar. His practice-squad background and special teams reliability have kept him firmly in the mix for a return opportunity.
Driving Style and Strengths
While Stoops is not a burner, his strengths lie in precise route running, dependable hands, and an understanding of leverage that comes from growing up in a coaching household. He has built a reputation as a chain-moving possession receiver who can be trusted on third downs and in the red zone, and his punt-return experience adds another layer to his special teams value at the professional level.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Stoops’ career include his debut catch as a walk-on, his scholarship from Lincoln Riley, his game-winning touchdown in a four-overtime win over Texas, his touchdown catch under his father’s interim guidance in the 2021 Alamo Bowl, and his First-team All-Big 12 selection in 2023. He also became an undrafted free agent signee of the Los Angeles Rams, continuing the family’s deep ties to professional football.
Drake Stoops Career Wins
Drake Stoops has built his résumé around consistency, reliability, and team success rather than headline-grabbing individual statistics. While he is not yet a record-setting professional scorer, his college career featured several signature performances and his professional journey has already included a reserve/future contract with the Rams.
Oklahoma Sooners Highlights
At Oklahoma, Stoops finished with career-best totals of 39 receptions for 393 yards and three touchdowns in 2022, followed by a First-team All-Big 12 nod in 2023. His first major college win moment came in a four-overtime victory over Texas, where his 20-yard touchdown catch sealed the result, and he added a memorable touchdown in the 2021 Alamo Bowl playing for his father.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond Oklahoma, Stoops earned two-time first-team all-state recognition at Norman North High School and led the program to the state championship game as a junior. His professional performances have centered on practice-squad development with the Rams and a brief UFL selection by the Arlington Renegades.
Drake Stoops Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Drake Stoops is the son of Bob Stoops, the legendary former head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners who won a national championship in 2000 and multiple Big 12 titles. He is also the nephew of Mark Stoops, the head coach at Kentucky, and Mike Stoops, a long-time defensive coordinator in college football, making football coaching one of the defining traits of the Stoops family.
Personal Life
Drake grew up alongside his brother Isaac Stoops, who also played wide receiver at Oklahoma before stepping away from the team. He was born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, and remains closely tied to the community where his father built his coaching legacy. Public details about his marital status and children are not widely reported.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Stoops was working to earn a spot on the Rams’ active roster after signing a reserve/future contract in January. His familiarity with the team’s scheme, his special teams background, and his reliable hands positioned him as a developmental depth piece at wide receiver and a candidate to contribute on punt coverage units.
On August 26, 2025, Stoops was waived as part of the Rams’ final roster cuts, a typical late-preseason move for young players who remain valuable practice-squad options. Despite the transaction, his continued presence on the reserve/future agreement suggests the organization values his long-term potential and is likely to consider him for future opportunities.
Looking ahead, Stoops will look to leverage his All-Big 12 pedigree, his family’s football pedigree, and his steady pro-level development into a sustained NFL role. Whether that path continues in Los Angeles or through another league opportunity, his career arc from preferred walk-on to professional wide receiver remains one of college football’s quieter success stories.