Tag: Peyton Bowen

5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee among On3’s best fits

The Oklahoma Sooners added to their already deep safety room with one of On3’s best fits of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a tear on the recruiting trail since Brent Venables and his staff arrived. In three recruiting cycles since arriving in Norman, Venables has put together three top-10 classes.

The biggest difference in Oklahoma’s recruiting is coming on the defensive side of the ball. One area where Oklahoma has had a lot of success is the safety position.

Venables and Brandon Hall have added [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag]. To go along with Billy Bowman, the Sooners may have one of the best safety groups in the nation.

The Sooners earned Powers’ commitment after he decommitted from Michigan State early in the fall. According to On3, Powers to the Sooners was one of the best fits in the [autotag]2024 early signing period[/autotag].

Reggie Powers could be the thunder to Peyton Bowen‘s lightning. Powers is 6-foot and already over 200 pounds that loves to play violently. His demeanor and attitude when it comes to playing near the line of scrimmage is rare for a secondary player. Bowen covers so much grass and is able to play as a true center field safety in the secondary, and he also plays a lot of man coverage in the slot. Having a player like Powers complement him as a downhill weapon from the secondary that can take on a heavier box role could be one of the better pairings in college football. – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout

More: Where do the Sooners rank in average team recruiting rankings for 2024?

According to On3, Powers was the No. 10 safety in the cycle and the No. 152 player in 2024. He is the seventh-highest-rated prospect in the Sooners’ 2024 class.

His combination of size, speed, and power, to go along with his versatility, will make him a great fit for the Sooners’ defense. Brent Venables loves to move his safeties around in his multiple defense. Powers could be deployed near the line of scrimmage as a strong safety or the cheetah or could be used as the deep free safety.

The Sooners’ safety depth chart looks like one of the deepest position groups on the roster for 2024. As Oklahoma continues to build its defense, Reggie Powers and the other safeties will be key to their success.

More: “He is serious about defense”: What led to Reggie Powers Oklahoma decision?

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Oklahoma Sooners continue Denton Guyer pipeline, sign cornerback Eli Bowen

The Sooners have had a lot of success recruiting Denton Guyer recently and they continue that with the signing of Eli Bowen.

[autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] had his hands full in 2023 thanks to a lot of injuries at his position. The one steady spot was [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], but the other side constantly saw guys in and out.

A lot of those young guys showed their youth but also showed promise, which just shows how important it is to recruit the right guys. Valai hopes he has another one of those guys with the signing of [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag].

Bowen is the younger brother of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] but is no slouch himself. He’s a four-star cornerback who is 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

His role in 2024 is unclear. As I mentioned before, it’s a position that suffered a lot of injuries, so he could be thrown into the fire in year one. He joins a group that includes Gentry Williams, Kani Walker, Kendel Dolby, Makari Vickers, and Jacobe Johnson. Ideally, he spends a year with [autotag]Jerry Schmidt[/autotag] getting bigger because he has a bright future in the Crimson and Cream.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Dynamic in-state playmaker signs with the Sooners

Mykel Patterson-McDonald signs national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners added another dynamic playmaker to their secondary when Westmoore standout [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag] signed his national letter of intent with the Sooners during the early signing period.

A four-star safety over at Rivals, Patterson-McDonald is considered the No. 2 player in Oklahoma and the No. 13 safety nationally. He plays with an edge in the secondary and has a penchant for creating turnovers.

Patterson-McDonald is an aggressive safety who attacks the ball in the air. He’s also a willing tackler, playing with speed and physicality in run support.

The Sooners earned Patterson-McDonald’s commitment in July, beating Missouri, Iowa State and Michigan State. His recruitment and signing reflects the concerted effort from the Sooners coaching staff to lock up the top talent in the state.

Mykel Patterson-McDonald joins a safety group that returns [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], along with 2024 signees [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag].

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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4-star safety Reggie Powers signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

During the early signing period, four-star safety prospect Reggie Powers signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

As the Oklahoma Sooners work to build their defense, much of the focus has been on the defensive line. However, safeties coach Brandon Hall has quietly been one of the Sooners’ better recruiters since coming on board with Brent Venables.

Joining a deep group of safeties put together by Hall is four-star prospect Reggie Powers out of Dayton, Ohio. Powers signed his national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners during the early signing period.

Powers was originally committed to Michigan State before backing off that pledge in September. He took visits to Norman and UCLA before ultimately choosing the Oklahoma Sooners.

In Powers, the Sooners get a big, tall, fast, athletic, and versatile safety prospect. He can play both free safety and in the box. With his size and athleticism, he could be a candidate to get some work at cheetah in Brent Venables defense.

More: What led to Reggie Powers’ commitment to the Sooners

Powers adds to a safety position that includes [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and fellow 2024 signees [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] and Mykell Patterson-McDonald.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 schedule

Oklahoam received its first schedule as SEC members and here our five takeaways from the daunting slate.

It is here, and it is glorious. Wednesday was a busy day for Oklahoma as a program.

The Sooners landed a commitment from transfer running back Sam Franklin, prepping for the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag] began and recruiting high school and [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] players was in high gear.

To end the night, the Sooners received a look at what Oklahoma will be going up against in their first year as SEC members. ESPN released the schedules for SEC teams, and Oklahoma now knows when and where it will play in its first SEC season.

Here’s a full look at the 2024 schedule and now we’ve got five instant takeaways from Oklahoma’s first SEC schedule.

2023 Position Review and Recruiting Outlook: Defensive backs battle through injuries

The defensive back room was hit by injuries all season long but battled through it to have a solid season.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive back room had one of the strangest seasons among the position groups. When they were healthy, they were really pretty good, but when they weren’t healthy, they really struggled.

They also would show games where they were dominant but had several games where they struggled in coverage. The inconsistency in availability created an inconsistent performance.

The other part was the come-and-go nature of the pass rush. There were games where the pass rush created a lot of pressure and games where they applied very little.

The defensive back group struggled in zone coverage often throughout the season.

But let’s take a look at how the position did this season and what’s to come in the future at the position.

Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman returning to Sooners for senior season

The Oklahoma Sooners got great Friday night as Billy Bowman announced he’s returning for his senior season.

Christmas came early for the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday evening as [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] announced he’s returning for his senior season. Bowman had a career year for the Sooners defense and had a chance to be taken in the top 50 of the 2024 NFL draft, but will forego the draft next April to play one more year for the Sooners.

Bowman’s decision was one of the more highly anticipated of this offseason. Now, the Sooners go into 2024, their first in the SEC, with a senior leader for their secondary.

In 2023, Bowman was second in the nation in interceptions with six and led the country in interception returns for touchdowns. He finished second on the team in tackles and also had three tackles for loss. Bowman was second on the team in snaps behind [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag].

Bowman earned a first-team All-American selection from CBS Sports and 247Sports and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.

What would have been an inexperienced group at safety, the Sooners bring back a star who’s played 31 games and more than 1,700 snaps in his three years with the Sooners.

Bowman leads a young but talented group that includes [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], who played a lot for the Sooners in 2023. Oklahoma also has [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag] and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag], who red-shirted this season. Expected to join the group in the 2024 signing class are [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], and [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], three guys who are considered four-star prospects by at least one of the recruiting services.

This is a huge win for Brent Venables and a Sooners defense that made a big jump in 2023. With the expected loss of Danny Stutsman to the NFL, getting Bowman back helps mitigate the loss of their defensive leader.

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Sooners expected to host highly-touted Clemson defensive back per report

The Oklahoma Sooners are expected to host Clemson safety transfer Andrew Mukuba.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been active in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], targeting guys with experience who can come in and add to the competitive depth on the roster. They’ve added Michigan State offensive tackle Spencer Brown, and it looks like they’re in the mix for one of the top transfers in the portal.

According to Jason Suchomel of Orange Bloods, the Oklahoma Sooners will be one of several teams to host elite Clemson safety Andrew Mukuba. Along with Oklahoma, Mukuba will visit Texas, Oregon, and Ole Miss in the coming week.

Mukuba is a former four-star safety out of Austin, Texas, who has played the last three seasons with the Clemson Tigers. He’s amassed more than 1,700 snaps in his collegiate career.

More: 2023-2024 Oklahoma Sooners Transfer Portal Tracker

The Texas Longhorns are the favorite to earn Mukuba’s commitment in the transfer portal, given they’re the hometown team. However, given Mukuba’s ties to Brent Venables from their time together at Clemson, there’s a chance the Sooners could add Mukuba to their defensive backfield.

Mukuba spends most of his time as the free safety but will also line up in coverage on opposing slot players. In three seasons, he’s totaled 143 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and 16 passes defended. In 2023, quarterbacks had an NFL passer rating of 64.7 when targeting Mukuba in coverage, which was the 13th-best opposing passer rating in the ACC among defensive backs with at least 453 snaps on the season.

The Oklahoma Sooners will return [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], and [autotag]Daeh McCullough[/autotag] at safety for 2024. There’s still a highly-anticipated decision coming from [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] about his future. Even if Bowman returns, the Sooners could use another difference maker in the secondary with [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] (expected to go to the NFL), [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] (transfer), and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] (eligibility) out the door.

Mukuba is a do-it-all player who is good in every aspect that’s needed to play the safety position. He’s excellent in coverage and a sure tackler. His experience would help further solidify the Sooners’ safety position and provide more versatility on the back end.

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