Tag: Peyton Bowen

Oklahoma Sooners defensive back still has confidence in team with two games left

Oklahoma’s Peyton Bowen believes the Sooners have what it takes to get to a bowl game.

The Oklahoma Sooners fumbled away a golden opportunity to become bowl eligible last week, losing on the road against the Missouri Tigers. OU will have to win at least one of their final two games to make the postseason. If they fail, it’ll break a 25-year streak of bowl-eligibility.

It’s been quite a fall from grace in Norman over the last few years, as a program that was strong and a frequent contender under Bob Stoops became an explosive, yet ultimately flawed product under Lincoln Riley. Three years in under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], the Sooners are just flawed.

From the elite ranks of college football to fighting to win as many games as they lose, no one saw quite this much of a regression from Oklahoma. But there’s still belief in the 2024 team from none other than some of the players in the locker room.

One such player is sophomore defensive back [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], one of OU’s trio of safeties that have been very good this season. He was asked about this team’s mindset coming off of last week’s embarrassing loss, with chances at getting to six wins running out.

“We’ve still got a lot to play for,” Bowen said. “Bowl eligibility with these two games, we’ve got one more in The Palace and one more in Death Valley. Like I said at the beginning of the year, every game is winnable. We’ve got the guys to do it, and I think we can, I know we can, and we’ve just got to go out there and win them.”

That’s what you want to hear from a second-year player, even if OU fans don’t quite share the same sentiment. Bowen is about to have so much more responsibility placed on his shoulders next season when players like Danny Stutsman and Billy Bowman head to the pros. If Robert Spears-Jennings decides to go to the league as well, Bowen would suddenly be the leader of the safety position in 2025.

Oklahoma will host the Alabama Crimson Tide on Nov. 23 for Senior Day in Norman, and the final game of the season will be on the road against the  LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Can Oklahoma Sooners win ‘Beamer Ball’ battle vs. South Carolina?

The Sooners can’t afford to let “Beamer Ball” be their undoing this week.

The Oklahoma Sooners are 4-2 entering week eight of the 2024 college football season, and they’re 1-2 in [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play. They’ll look to bounce back from last week’s tough loss against Texas at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday.

To say OU has struggled mightily on offense this season would be an understatement. While the defense has held up their end of the bargain, the Sooners haven’t been able to put points on the board.

The Gamecocks have had similar problems this year, although not as drastic. They boast an excellent defense, but an offense that has struggled at times to move the ball.

However, the third phase of the game of football will be very important this week, as special teams may come to Oklahoma’s aid in this contest, or be their demise.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer knows more about special teams than just about any other coach in the country. His father, Frank Beamer, famously coached Virginia Tech to plenty of success with “Beamer Ball” and his son has followed in his footsteps. The Beamers are excellent on special teams, often earning their teams an edge in that department.

Shane Beamer actually coached at Oklahoma from 2018 to 2020 in a variety of roles (including special teams), before he got his current gig in Columbia. The Gamecocks nearly upset LSU early this season, and used a remarkable onside kick to come within a drive of defeating Alabama last week. South Carolina is a worthy opponent for the Sooners, especially on special teams, with the Oklahoma offense stuck in neutral (or park, or reverse).

Oklahoma head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] made special teams a point of emphasis this offseason, after the Sooners had far too many mistakes in that department in his first two years at the helm. Special teams analyst [autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag] was hired away from San Diego State to replace Jay Nunez, who took a job at Alabama.

Through six games, OU hasn’t been remarkable on special teams, but the big mistakes that bit them last year haven’t shown up as much. But it’ll take everybody to win that battle against Beamer and the Gamecocks.

Punter [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] leads the way for this unit, as he’s had an excellent season. Time and time again, Elzinga has been counted upon to win the field position battle, and time and time again, he’s delivered. He hasn’t had a punt blocked, and he’s honestly one of Oklahoma’s best players, regardless of position. As OU continues to struggle on offense, but play well defensively, field position will be crucial.

The trio of kicker [autotag]Tyler Keltner[/autotag], holder [autotag]Josh Plaster[/autotag] and long snapper [autotag]Ben Anderson[/autotag] will have to be solid on field goals and extra points this week, as South Carolina will capitalize on any mistakes. Keltner has missed a couple of kicks this season, including one against Texas, but is still an improvement over what the position has seen the last couple of years. The Sooners also have not had a kick blocked.

OU’s kickoff specialist, [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] (who stepped in nicely as the starter at kicker for Keltner against Auburn), can’t give the Gamecocks any un-earned opportunities either, as the Sooners defense needs all the help they can get.

If the Sooners could block a punt or a kick, that would be fantastic, but South Carolina doesn’t make many special teams errors. Oklahoma also will have to be careful they don’t give up a big return.

In the return game, Oklahoma hasn’t gotten anything substantial, though they are dealing with some injuries to their kickoff returners. Without Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks in the lineup, that duty has fallen to players like Billy Bowman, [autotag]Sam Franklin[/autotag], Gavin Sawchuk and Devon Jordan. Franklin seems to be the preferred option, but he is currently questionable for this game, as is Burks.

[autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] is the primary punt returner, with Bowman as a backup option. Bowen was excellent returning punts in high school, and has shown potential, but hasn’t gotten loose for a big play yet at the college level.

Lastly, OU will have to avoid special teams penalties, which has not exactly been a strength through six games.

That means being disciplined and paying attention to the little details in order to keep from making those errors. Whether it’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalties or procedure penalties, they simply can’t happen on special teams in any game, this one included. They’ll also need to keep the antenna up for momentum-shifting plays like onside kicks or fakes that can swing things in favor of South Carolina.

With his offense trying to find solutions at this point in the season, Venables will be looking for his special teams to out-duel “Beamer Ball” and help his defense come away with the win.

Oklahoma Sooners captains for week five vs. Auburn

Who are OU’s week five captains for the Auburn game?

The Oklahoma Sooners will look for a bounce-back win this week as they take to the road for the first time in 2024. OU will visit the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon, looking to improve on their 3-1 record and find their first conference victory in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Third-year head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has chosen five players to represent the Sooners as captains for this game. OU is hoping to avoid back-to-back losses. Wide receiver [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] represents the offense. Linebacker [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and defensive backs [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] represent the defense. Punter [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] represents the special teams.

With all of the injuries at the wide receiver position, Thompson has gotten more playing time than expected. He’s been largely held in check by opposing defenses, registering just eight catches for 76 yards and one touchdown in four games. He’ll be asked to step up his performance as the Sooners look for something playmakers on offense.

Lewis starts at one of the inside linebacker positions for Oklahoma. He had one of his best performances of the season last week, as OU’s defense kept the team in the game. He’s becoming more of a vocal leader for the Sooners, and is getting so many valuable snaps as he continues to develop as a player.

Walker has been starting at one cornerback spot for the Sooners. It hasn’t been perfect at the position for Oklahoma this season, but considering some of the injuries that have taken a toll at corner, OU has held up fairly well. Walker uses his size and length to get into passing lanes and shut things down. He nearly had an interception in the end zone against Tennessee and helped create a pick against Tulane the week before.

Bowen is one member of the excellent safety trio in the back end of OU’s defense. The former five-star prospect is on the field way more this year than he was last season and is developing into someone that Venables can count on. He was on the field a lot last week. Despite being just a true sophomore, he wasn’t picked on at all by the offense.

Elzinga has been one of the best players on OU’s roster this year and the headliner of the improved special teams unit. He’s been excellent since taking over punting duties midway through last season. As the Sooners transition to a defense-and-field-position type of team, he is solid at downing punts deep in opponent territory.

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Oklahoma Sooners safety Pro Football Focus’ highest graded at the position

The Sooners will need to continue to play excellent at safety this week against Tulane.

Oklahoma Sooners safety [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] is off to a fantastic start in 2024. In fact, his start has been so good that Pro Football Focus has him as their highest-graded safety in college football after week two of the season.

Robert Spears-Jennings is the highest-graded defensive player among players at the Power Four level, having at least 40 snaps this season.

Spears-Jennings is one-third of an excellent trio of safeties at OU, alongside [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. The junior from Broken Arrow is a thumper in the run game for OU’s defense. It turns out that he’s been pretty good in pass coverage as well.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1833983103380947006

The local product has waited his turn over the last two years, developing in the background with veterans taking a vast majority of the safety snaps. In 2024, he’s broken out with impact plays in both games so far.

Against Temple, Spears-Jennings forced a fumble, one of OU’s six forced turnovers in a 51-3 win.

Against Houston, he stepped in front of a Cougar wide receiver on a pivotal third-and-long early in the fourth quarter that gave the Sooners some momentum. Who knows what could have happened if Houston had converted on that play, as they were only down two points at the time.

According to Pro Football Focus, Spears-Jennings hasn’t missed a tackle through two games this season. He’s fourth on the defense in snaps.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and safeties coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] recruited a good one in Spears-Jennings, who is ready to break out even more this year, having contributed on defense ever since he was a true freshman back in 2022.

https://twitter.com/soonergridiron/status/1832607218052497877

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3 freshmen to watch for Oklahoma Sooners against Houston

Oklahoma’s true freshmen stood out in a big way in week one can these three freshmen have another strong performance?

The Oklahoma Sooners look to improve to 2-0 on Saturday night. They’ll welcome the Houston Cougars to Norman at 6:45 p.m. after defeating the Temple Owls, 51-3, last Friday.

OU’s younger players received plenty of playing time in Week 1, as the home team was in control from the beginning. While Houston is a more talented team than Temple, the Sooners are expected to win in convincing fashion again.

Even if the opponent were a tougher one, Oklahoma would still need contributions from the youngest players on their depth chart. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his coaching staff did an excellent job in the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. Now they hope their hard work continues to pay off, beginning with a strong showing against the Cougars. Here are three freshmen players on OU’s roster to watch in Week 2.

1. Jayden Jackson, DT

Making history last week as the first true freshmen starter at defensive tackle since Tommie Harris in 2001, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] starts again up front for Venables and Co.

Jackson’s size and strength on the interior of the defensive line will be tested more once the Sooners reach [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play, but against Houston, he should once again have a chance to make some noise.

He wasn’t the player up front that popped the most last week against Temple, but the defensive line dominated the game when he was in. Watch for Jackson to make plays stuffing the run against a porous Cougars offensive line while rotating with [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag].

Up Next: Freshmen Playmakers Need More Snaps

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Stingy defense leads Sooners to 51-3 win over Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners defense forced six turnovers to lead the way in a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls.

The Oklahoma Sooners took care of business in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls.

On a night when OU honored the 1974 and 1975 national championship teams, squads that had great defenses, OU’s defense led the way for the Sooners, forcing six turnovers.

Temple took the opening kick, but couldn’t create much before going three and out. And that was about as productive as the Owls would be in the first half. Defensively, Oklahoma forced Temple to go punt, fumble, punt, interception, fumble, punt, punt, and fumble.

[autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] forced the Sooners first turnover of the season, a strip of quarterback Forrest Brock, which was recovered by Da’Jon Terry. Cornerback [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] grabbed Oklahoma’s first interception of the season picking off a tipped pass by cheetah linebacker [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag]. [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] also forced fumbles in the first half to help create a strong start in the turnover department for the Sooners.

The Sooners offense took advantage of a stingy defensive effort by scoring on six of their eight possessions in the first half.

On the Sooner’s first offensive possession, [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] led OU on a seven-play 76-yard touchdown drive, culminating in a 14-yard scoring strike between Arnold and tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag]. It was the first of four touchdown passes for the Sooners five-star quarterback, who was making his first start at home.

The Sooners took advantage of good field position provided by the defense to lead a five-play, 46-yard drive ending on Arnold’s second touchdown pass of the day, this time to [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag].

[autotag]Tyler Keltner[/autotag] provided some answers at kicker, nailing field goal attempts of 50 and 46 yards to put the Sooners up 20-0.

Though the offense slowed a bit in the second quarter, they closed the half strong, with touchdowns on two of their last three possessions. A nice return from [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] gave OU the ball in the Temple half of the field, and Oklahoma drove the ball 44 yards on five plays for another Burks touchdown.

After OU punted late in the half, the defense forced yet another turnover inside the Temple 10-yard line, and Arnold cashed in with his fourth touchdown pass of the day and third to Burks to put Oklahoma up 34-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the Sooners’ offense struggled to get going punting on their first possession. The defense forced a three and out and Keltner pushed his third field goal of the day through the uprights to put the Sooners up 37-0.

Temple began to generate some offense on their second possession of the half, moving the ball inside the Sooners 20-yard line. However, sacks from [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and a combination of [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag] put the Owls in a 3rd-and-22 situation. After an incomplete pass, Temple kicked a field goal for their only points of the game.

The rest of the way, it was about the Sooners’ defense. [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] forced a fumble on a punt, which was scooped up by [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] and returned for a touchdown.

True freshman safety [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] recorded the first interception of his Sooners career, the sixth of the game for Oklahoma.

On Oklahoma’s final drive of the game, it was true freshman running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] doing the heavy lifting. He carried the ball four times for 66 yards, finishing the drive with an eight-yard touchdown. Fellow true freshman quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] also looked good on the drive, showing off his athleticism and quick release to help the Sooners move the ball down the field.

Defensive tackle [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag] finished off the Owls with a pair of sacks on their final drive of the game.

It was a strong defensive performance, however, as the Sooners allowed just 197 yards of total offense and 1.9 yards per rushing attempt. The Sooners forced six turnovers, recorded six sacks nine tackles for loss, and rarely let the Owls offense create much momentum.

The Sooners offense looked good in stretches, but with several starters out along the offensive line, there wasn’t much cohesion up front. Arnold was sacked four times, and regularly the Sooners rushing attack was bottled up. A talking point for much of the offseason wasn’t resolved in week one and perhaps has created more questions.

Though the running game produced 217 yards at 6.2 yards per carry, it wasn’t a consistent performance, especially in the first half. Oklahoma ran for 87 yards in the first half and 130 yards in the second.

Arnold was efficient, going 17 of 25 for 141 yards and four touchdowns. Though his yards per attempt (5.64) will be nothing to write home about, he didn’t have a ton of time to work the ball down the field. Yet he played mistake-free football, and with a defense like Oklahoma’s is key.

Injuries along the offensive line will be important to monitor moving forward. [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag] exited the game with an ankle injury. [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] finished the game at center for the Sooners.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is also an injury situation to monitor. He left the game early as well. Farooq came through with a big 47-yard possession on the Sooners opening drive of the game. Brent Venables revealed after the game that Farooq broke his foot and will be out 4-6 weeks.

It was a solid performance from the Sooners in all three phases. If they can continue to get defensive efforts like the one tonight against Temple, it’ll take a lot of pressure off of an offense that has some questions to answer along the offensive line. They’ll need to improve their rushing attack as they move forward, but there were some building blocks to work with.

The Sooners move to 1-0 on the season and get set to host the Houston Cougars in week two.

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Oklahoma Sooners still looking for an answer at Kicker

Two players are battling to become the starting kicker for Oklahoma in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners released their first official depth chart of the 2024 season on Sunday evening, letting fans know the players who will start Week 1 against Temple.

One underrated position battle for head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] heading into Year 3 is at the kicker position. OU needs to be better on special teams this season, beginning with their success rate on field goals. Venables knows this will be doubly important with the Sooners entering the [autotag]SEC[/autotag], where the margin between failure and success is even smaller than what Oklahoma is used to.

In addition, OU is breaking in a new special teams analyst. [autotag]Jay Nunez[/autotag] is out and [autotag]Doug Deakin[/autotag] takes over after coming over from San Diego State. Venables and Deakin held a kicker competition this offseason, but with the release of the initial depth chart, it seems the spot still hasn’t been decided yet.

A pair of redshirt seniors, [autotag]Tyler Keltner[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag], are battling for the right to be named Oklahoma’s starter. Keltner is the newcomer in the race after joining the Sooners via the portal this offseason. Schmit is the incumbent and is one of the longest-tenured players on the roster. He’s been the starter for each of the last two seasons.

At the other specialist positions, redshirt senior [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] will retain the starting punter job that he earned midway through last season. Redshirt sophomore [autotag]Ben Anderson[/autotag] will serve as the long-snapper, redshirt senior [autotag]Josh Plaster[/autotag] will be the holder and Schmit will retain his role as Oklahoma’s kickoff specialist.

Sophomore safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] gets the nod as OU’s punt returner, a move fans will be happy to see, as he was electric returning punts in high school. A pair of seniors, safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], will be the kickoff returners to begin the season. Oklahoma needs to be better in the kick return game this year than they were in 2023, as a couple of costly mistakes hurt the Sooners in their two regular season losses.

OU will begin their foray into the SEC on Friday night in Norman, as they’ll look to start strong against Temple. Kickoff will be at 6 p.m.

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Consensus 2025 five-star OT Michael Fasusi picks Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma earns a commitment from 2025 five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi.

Oklahoma has its big fish for the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Since Brent Venables took over, five-star prospects [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], Peyton Bowen and David Stone highlighted their recruiting classes. For 2025, it’s [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag].

Fasusi is a five-star offensive tackle prospect from Texas who hails from the same high school that produced Sooners four-star defensive back Jaydan Hardy last year. Lewisville High School, located just under 45 minutes from Dallas, has been kind to the Sooners in recent years, and on Tuesday, the Sooners reaped the benefits again.

Fasusi’s recruitment has been national since he was a sophomore when it was apparent he was heading for five-star status. The Sooners offered Fasusi in January 2023, and offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been relentless in his efforts to land Fasusi. Even with the rise of other highly sought offensive tackle prospects in this class, Bedenbuagh and OU remained in hot pursuit.

Their relationship was an integral part of the Sooners winning out.  Bedenbaugh’s track record is second to none in developing talent along the offensive line.

 

Fasusi is an incredible asset to the Sooners, and beating out Texas and Texas A&M is nothing to scoff at. Texas has been a major player in this recruitment, and at times this year, it felt as if the Sooners were in second place. Oklahoma weathered the highs and lows of the recruitment and advances from other challengers.

In April, predictions heavily favored the Texas Longhorns, but over the last week, insiders that cover the Longhorns began to flip their predictions to the Sooners. National recruiting figures such as Tom Loy, Matt Zenitz and Steve Wiltfong reinforced the shift.

Kyle Flood is a well-respected name in offensive line recruiting, so beating him and Texas, especially with Texas’ recruiting ability on the offensive line of late, is worthy of even more praise for Bedenbaugh and the Sooners as the dust settles.

On the field, Fasusi is a dynamic prospect. Gabe Brooks, a scouting analyst for 247Sports, compared Fasusi to a former Sooner.

Gifted O-lineman with true book-end tackle potential. Possesses excellent physical tools and promising athletic context in track and field and combine testing categories. Legitimately 6-foot-5 with long arms and a big reach. Wears mass well and owns space to add more bulk. Multi-sport athlete with 50+ shot put and 150+ discus prowess. Grew up playing soccer and is young for the 2025 cycle. Similarly explosive metrics in vertical and broad jump relative to OT projection. Shows foot quickness and agility to live on an island in pass protection. Nimbleness translates to movement ability in the run game. Flashes some punch power that should become more consistent with continued development. Improved phone-booth strength from sophomore to junior year. Length and athleticism help in recovery vs. twitchy edge speed, but will need to continue technical development to match P4-caliber foes at point of attack. Somewhat high-cut build and plays upright at times. Getting more comfortable as a convicted block-finishing presence, but can still unleash more mean streak. Entering senior year, looks like one of the nation’s top 2025 offensive tackle prospects. Projects as a high-major multi-year starter with physical and athletic specs that suggest early-round NFL Draft upside. – Brooks, 247Sports

As for the Sooner, Brooks had in mind as a comparison for Fasusi? Wanya Morris. Morris transferred to Oklahoma and spent two years as a Sooner before being drafted last year by the Kansas City Chiefs, where he is a starter on the back-to-back defending Super Bowl champs alongside another Bedenbaugh product, All-Pro center Creed Humphrey.

Oklahoma had to land Fasusi after missing on [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] and trailing in the race for [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag]. It was a non-negotiable as all four prospects were top 100 players.

Fortunately, the Sooners have their left tackle for the future. Pairing him with the fast-rising Ryan Fodje, an ascending player over the last year, as well as interior offensive linemen [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag] and [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag] makes for an even stronger offensive line recruiting class. The Sooners are well positioned to keep [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag], [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] upright as the Sooners settle in as SEC members in the coming years.

With Fasusi on board, the Sooners vaulted from 11th in 247Sports team recruiting rankings to eighth, right behind Texas A&M. Fasusi becomes the first five-star offensive lineman in Norman since [autotag]Brey Walker[/autotag].

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Where does Oklahoma land in Athlon Sports’ defensive back unit rankings?

Oklahoma’s secondary has plenty of potential, featuring a good mix of veterans and youth.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be looking to take another step forward on defense in 2024, as OU enters Year 3 of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era.

Venables was hired because of his defensive acumen and because of his championship merit at both Oklahoma and Clemson. In his first season, the Sooners gave up 30 points per game on their way to a subpar 6-7 record. Last year, Oklahoma bounced back to go 10-3, giving up just 23.5 points per game.

Now the time has come to make another leap on that side of the ball, and one unit that can help make that happen is the secondary. It’s a unit that was bad in 2022 but improved last season, along with the rest of the defense. It’s also a unit that gave up too many big plays, had the occasional coverage bust last year, and needs to continue improving.

Fortunately, Athlon Sports thinks Oklahoma will have one of the best secondaries in the nation this year, as they revealed their Top 20 defensive back units in the country on Saturday. The Sooners came in at No. 11 overall, third in the SEC. Only Georgia (No. 2) and Texas (No. 10) came in above OU. Ohio State topped Athlon’s list.

The reason for the optimism is the mix of experienced veterans and talented youngsters that have the opportunity to mesh well and create great things for the Sooners in 2024.

Cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] has plenty of different options to work with on both sides of the field. Sixth-year senior [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] will still likely play multiple positions on the defense (cornerback, safety and Cheetah), but is going to reportedly be playing a bunch of cornerback once again. The trio of [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] will also be counted upon heavily, and all four will see plenty of action. [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] could also get some run, as they’re both younger players with very high upside.

Similarly, safeties coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] will get to mix-and-match different combinations in the back end of the defense. Safety might be even deeper than corner on this year’s team. The return of [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] is what unlocks this position group. The senior is one of the best players on the team in 2024. He’s become a leader for the Sooners and was a ball hawk last year, making big play after big play.

The combination of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] will share snaps at the other safety spot, and OU is excited about what that duo can do.

The depth at the position is strong with [autotag]Reggie Powers III[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] and [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag] providing an interesting group of skillsets and plenty of youth. If the injury bug bites, Washington, [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag], and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] could move from primary positions to help out on the back line.

Venables and new defensive coordinator [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag] know that the defense has to continue their ascent to get where they want to go in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Fortunately, the time for talking is almost over, as the Sooners will begin their season in less than two weeks. The Temple Owls come to Norman on Friday, August 30th.

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Oklahoma Sooners safety named to Jim Thorpe Award watch list

One of the best defensive backs in the nation were added to the Jim Thorpe Award watch list.

One of the best defensive backs in college football is taking the stage once again in 2024 as [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] opted to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his senior season.

In 2023, Bowman erupted for six interceptions, returning three of them for interceptions. He became a highlight reel waiting to happen, making quarterbacks pay for trying him in the passing game.

In addition to his six interceptions, Bowman had three passes defended and three tackles for loss.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Bowman was named to the Jim Thorpe Award Watch List. The Thorpe Award is given to the best defensive back in the nation.

Bowman is expected to take another step in his development after his breakout 2023 season. In addition to his performance on the field, his leadership of the next generation of Sooners safeties is paramount, not only to what the defense can do in 2024 but beyond.

Young safeties like [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] are expected to step in for [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], who left the team after 2023.

[autotag]Rickey Dixon[/autotag] won the award in 1987, the second year of the Thorpe. [autotag]Roy Williams[/autotag] took home the trophy after a dominant 2001 campaign. [autotag]Derrick Strait[/autotag] is the last Sooner to take home the Thorpe back in 2004.

Only one other program in college football history has earned three Thorpe Awards, the LSU Tigers.

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