Tag: Peyton Bowen

15 highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners through Week 4 per Pro Football Focus

Four games into the season, who are the highest-graded Oklahoma Sooners according to Pro Football Focus.

The Oklahoma Sooners are playing good football as they head into Week 5. They’re 4-0 and allowing an average of 8.5 points per game. Though the offense scored just 20 points against Cincinnati, Dillon Gabriel left a little meat on the bone with a couple of bad overthrows and a fumble inside the 10-yard line.

It could have easily been a 34-6 game.

But, the Sooners are 4-0 and looking like a contender in the Big 12. They’ll have to continue to prove it on the field, but for the most part, they’re looking like a much-improved football team.

Through four weeks, the Sooners have received some standout performances, but who has earned the best grades from Pro Football Focus through four games?

Here are the top 15 graded Sooners who have played at least 77 snaps or 25% of the possible snaps this season.

‘P.J.s’ gotta play more’: Brent Venables excited about what he’s seeing from Adepoju Adebawore

Five-star true freshman defensive end Adepoju Adebawore is having an impact early in his career for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class was arguably the best in the modern recruiting era. Brent Venables and his staff earned commitments from five-star prospects [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag].

Early in the 2023 season, we’re seeing the fruits of their recruiting efforts, with each of those guys making plays. Arnold will wait for his opportunity to be the starter in 2024. Bowen and Adebawore have already figured into the rotation on defense.

But it looks like the Oklahoma Sooners will need to find a way to get the player affectionately referred to as “P.J.” on the field more.

In the win over Cincinnati, Adebawore had an effective game rushing the passer from his defensive end spot. According to Pro Football Focus, the five-star freshman saw 22 snaps. Of those 22 snaps, he was called upon to rush the passer 16 times, creating two pressures and earning a pass rush win rate of 18.8%.

This one nearly created a sack-fumble but fell incomplete as Emory Jones got the ball out a split second before Adebawore arrived.

Among Sooners who have rushed the passer at least five times this season, Adebawore has the highest pass-rush win rate at 20%. This means he’s beating his blocker one out of every five pass rush attempts. He’s third in the Big 12 in pass rush win rate among players with at least

To hear his head coach talk, there might be more playing time coming in the future.

At his weekly coaches show at Rudy’s BBQ (ESPN+), Venables noted the performance of his freshman defensive end.

Venables said, “Well, I’m on the plane watching some of the game, and you’ve got your computer, and you’re watching the game. And I pause it, and I go find Coach (Miguel) Chavis, and I’m like, ‘Hey, P.J.’s gotta play more.’ And (Chavis) said, ‘Coach, he played 23 snaps. And he played the second most snaps of any of the guys.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay. Alright.’ So he did play more, I just wanted more than that.”

Venables went on to say, “He’s going to be really, really special. He’s got great length, got a great frame. He can run like (expletive). You know, he can fly and super explosive. Not just a fast guy. He’s wiry strong.”

When asked to compare him to someone he’d coached in the past, Venables said, “He’s maybe a much more athletic Clelin Ferrell. At Clemson, he’s a kid who was the fourth pick overall in the NFL draft. He was the 99th-rated defensive end coming out of high school and just developed. Have the same frame. P.J. can run a lot better than Cle.”

It remains to be seen how the Sooners will delineate their defensive end snaps. Rondell Bothroyd had an impressive sack against Cincinnati, and Ethan Downs leads the team in pressures. But it’s becoming clearer each week that Adepoju Adebawore needs to see the field.

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No. 14 Sooners vs Cincinnati Bearcats: How to Watch, key players, weather forecast for gameday

The Sooners are going to be in for a battle this weekend, let’s take a look at how you can watch, the impact players, injury report and what’s the weather going to be like.

The Oklahoma Sooners are set to take on the [autotag]Cincinnati Bearcats[/autotag] on Saturday. This is the first conference game for both teams.

The Sooners are coming off a 3-0 nonconference slate whereas the Bearcats are coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to in-state foe Miami (Oh.). But don’t let that game fool you. The Bearcats had seven trips to the red zone and only scored on four of them, two of which were field goals.

That’s how you beat yourself in a game you should win. This game is going to be a lot more interesting than people think. This is the best defensive line the Sooners have faced to date and could be the best they face all season.

But that doesn’t mean the offense isn’t any good. They rank No. 12 in the nation in total yards and No. 8 in the nation in rushing. The Sooners’ 15th-ranked rushing defense is going to be tested once again and the Bearcats have a very good dual-threat quarterback at the helm.

Not to mention this is going to be Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff game, the only time Oklahoma is making the trip as conference foes, and is expected to be a blackout for Cincinnati.

But without giving too much away, let’s dive into how you can watch the Sooners on the road.

No. 14 Oklahoma Sooners at Cincinnati Bearcats: Sooners Wire staff predictions

Can the Oklahoma Sooners keep the good times rolling on the road against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Here are this week’s staff predictions.

The Oklahoma Sooners get ready for their last Big 12 opener as they travel to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in week four. The Sooners are rolling and take on a Bearcats team looking to rebound after their first loss of the season.

Can Oklahoma continue its defensive performance on the road against a talented dual-threat quarterback? Can the offense keep hitting big plays through the passing game? Can the running game find some running room against one of the best defensive fronts in the country?

We’ll find out starting at 11 a.m. CT on Saturday.

Here are this week’s Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

When we first saw Oklahoma’s schedule, this game against the Bearcats was the one that worried me the most before the Texas game.

Cincinnati is a team that shouldn’t be overlooked.

That defensive line is nasty and physical. They can disrupt an entire game plan. My worry has only grown due to how well the Bearcats’ offense is playing, particularly running the football. Their run game is No. 8 nationally.

Combine that with the loss last week, and this might be a trap game for the Sooners. If they’re not careful, they could look past the Bearcats and come out flat because of Cincinnati’s loss to Miami (Oh.).

They can very well lose this game. I think they’ll win, but it’ll be a lot closer than people think.

Sooners 34, Cincinnati 24

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Up Next: More Sooners Wire Staff Predictions

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‘Eager to learn and work’: Peyton Bowen becoming integral part of Oklahoma Sooners defense

Just three games into his career, we’re only beginning to scratch the surface of Peyton Bowen’s potential.

“A really smart guy. Football comes easy for him. He’s highly skilled, very instinctual, confident, but eager to learn and work.” – Brent Venables

Every single week, [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] continues to flash the talent that made him a five-star prospect and one of the more highly sought-after talents in the 2023 class.

The buzz has been building since the spring, and there’s no reason to expect it will slow down anytime soon. In the Oklahoma Sooners win over Tulsa, Bown showed off his range and reaction time on multiple occasions as he nearly picked off two passes on a day when the Sooners collected five interceptions.

On a defense that is collectively better than it was a year ago, Bowen continues to stand out week-to-week. When asked about how difficult the transition for a true freshman can be, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] highlighted Bowen’s willingness to learn and work to go along with his natural talent.

“It’s not easy,” Venables said about his star freshman’s performance thus far. “There’s nothing easy about it. But he was here at mid-year. A really smart guy. Football comes easy for him. He’s highly skilled, very instinctual, confident, but eager to learn and work. So he’s, again, created opportunity for himself, and he’ll just continue to get better the more he plays.”

And it’s that last part that is so intriguing. He’s far from a finished product and is already one of the better players on Oklahoma’s defense. For a Sooners defense that has better depth than it did a year ago, Peyton Bowen is sixth in snaps and third among safeties with 112 snaps this season. That’s behind veteran players Billy Bowman and Reggie Pearson.

Of course, the nature of Oklahoma’s victories over Arkansas State and Tulsa provided an opportunity to get younger players on the field. At the same time, Bowen’s earning every snap the coaching staff throws his way with his performance on the field.

Bowen played just 24 snaps in the win over Arkansas State, according to Pro Football Focus. In a game that was more closely contested vs. SMU, the five-star safety received 40 snaps for the Sooners’ defense. And then, against Tulsa, he saw his highest snap count of the season, playing 48 plays in the win.

With Justin Harrington out due to a knee injury and Dasan McCullough still working his way back, Bowen played primarily at Cheetah on Saturday. In the first couple of weeks, he was playing more traditional safety roles.

Saturday was the first start of his career, and surely it won’t be his last. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] was pleased with his true freshman’s performance.

“I was pleased with Peyton,” Roof said on Monday. “Thought he tackled well. I thought we tackled well as a defense. But I was impressed with him. His ball skills. His instincts. You know, again, we can make it whatever. But that was his first (extended action), you know, action in college football. And there’s something to what goes with that first time. You know, passed getting through it. And then where it just becomes football again, as opposed to, ‘oh my gosh, this is the first time.’ But the moment’s not too big for him. And, again, he’s got such a bright future.”

As impressive as the performance on the field, his ability to play in several spots this early on is equally incredible.

Though the Sooners may want him to play primarily at safety this season, Peyton Bowen’s ability to be deployed at several spots makes him an invaluable part of the defense.

There will be bigger challenges for Bowen and the Oklahoma Sooners. But for the true freshman and for the defense, it’s so far so good and trending in a really good direction.

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for their first true road trip of the season, they need Bowen to continue to grow into his role and continue to rise to the occasion.

Based on early returns, there’s little doubt he will.

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Brent Venables provides injury updates on several Oklahoma Sooners

With Oklahoma set to open Big 12 play, Brent Venables offered an injury update on several Sooners.

This offseason, the Oklahoma Sooners’ coaching staff highlighted their improved “competitive depth” from the 2022 season. That depth is being put to the test early in 2023, as injuries to several starters will force the Sooners to go deeper into the roster.

The most notable, at this point, is the knee injury suffered by starting cheetah Justin Harrington, who missed the Tulsa game. Though there’s no official timetable for his recovery, it’s not looking like he’ll be back anytime soon for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners turned to [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] at cheetah with Dasan McCullough out of action with his own injury. McCullough’s expected to be back for the Sooners this week when they travel to Cincinnati.

There are several other names to keep an eye on. [autotag]Savion Byrd[/autotag] left the Sooners win over Tulsa with an undisclosed injury. He was replaced by a combination of [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] and [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag].

[autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], and [autotag]Jasiah Wagoner[/autotag] are dealing with ailments of their own. And like Byrd, Brent Venables is “hopeful” for those guys. Now does that mean they’ll be available this week? Time will tell.

Pearson and Thomas are significant members of the Sooners defensive depth chart. Wagoner had an offseason that impressed the coaches and those in attendance at practices.

Also notable, youngsters [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Rowe[/autotag] will have season-ending surgeries.

Picciotti, a true freshman linebacker, hadn’t recorded a snap through three games. Coaches were impressed with the offseason the New Jersey native and IMG Academy talent put together, but he’ll redshirt for 2023 and continue to work toward being an impact player in 2024.

Jayden Rowe, the Tulsa native, will also be out for the remainder of the year. He was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and has played 22 snaps for the Sooners across his first two seasons.

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Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

5-star freshman DE Adepoju Adebawore shows flashes of stardom in Sooners win

Adepoju Adebawore showed flashes of what’s to come in his Oklahoma career.

The Oklahoma Sooners are fresh off another dominant performance on the defensive side of the ball to open the 2023 season. The Sooners stifled the [autotag]Tulsa Golden Hurricane[/autotag] offense outside of a rough second quarter.

Multiple players made impacts Saturday, and one of those was five-star freshman defensive end [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. The true freshman finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and earned the first sack of his young career.

He told reporters after the game, it felt good to finally get home to the quarterback.

“The first sack is very good, great actually. Just to be out there knowing my coaches trust me enough to be out there to be able to execute and make a couple of big plays,” Adebawore said.

Like [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] last week, Adebawore is entering that territory where it will be hard to keep him off of the field. He already possessed the best pass rush win rate of any Sooner coming into Saturday and put another strong performance together.

Adebawore also said his experience at Oklahoma so far has been everything he imagined when he committed.

“I think it’s been better,” Adebawore said. “Everyone here is very loving. Everyone here is very affectionate. It’s a very family-like place, and I feel comfortable here. So, yes, definitely what I imagined.”

Just watching Adebawore play should bring a huge smile to Sooner fans’ faces. He has a bright future, and on Saturday he showed flashes of what’s to come.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Five Takeaways from Oklahoma’s dominating win over in-state foe Tulsa

Oklahoma brought the hammer down on in-state foe Tulsa on Saturday as they won 66-17. We have our five takeaways from the game.

Oklahoma wrapped up their nonconference schedule for the 2023 regular season on Saturday with pure domination of their in-state foe, the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Oklahoma blew the doors off Tulsa 66-17.

From the outset, the Sooners had a weird start as starting receiver and kick returner Jalil Farooq fumbled the opening kick to Tulsa. But from then on, the Sooners were in control.

The week there was a lot of focus on Oklahoma’s offense and the conservative approach against SMU.

Jeff Lebby answered those concerns quickly, and the defense continued their improved and inspired play on the way to a runaway victory.

With the game fresh on our minds, here are our five takeaways from Oklahoma’s win.

Justin Harrington unavailable at cheetah for the Oklahoma Sooners vs. Tulsa

Though he made the trip with the team, starting cheetah linebacker Justin Harrington not expected to play against Tulsa.

The Oklahoma Sooners are out to build a defense that more resembles what Brent Venables put together at Clemson and Oklahoma. With a pair of strong performances against Arkansas State and SMU already under their belt, the Sooners hope to keep that momentum going against Tulsa before Big 12 play begins next Saturday against Cincinnati.

But as they prepared to play the Golden Hurricane in Tulsa, they’ll have to do so without starting cheetah backer [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag].

According to Eddie Radesovich of SoonerScoop.com and On3, the senior defender made the trip to Tulsa but isn’t suited out for today’s game.

Harrington, who is fifth on the team in snaps this season, is out of action with a sprained knee suffered in the win over SMU.

This season, Harrington’s played 91 snaps at cheetah and has generated six total tackles, an interception, and four pressures on the season.

The Sooners will likely turn to Indiana transfer[autotag] Dasan McCullough[/autotag], who will be making his first appearance since being injured in the win over Arkansas State. Oklahoma will also likely utilize [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag] as well as blue-chip true freshmen [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag].

The Sooners need someone to step up and fortify that spot in Harrington’s absence, which could extend into Big 12 play.

After an offseason where the coaching staff highlighted the competitive depth, the Sooners should have a good answer to the cheetah question.

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