Tag: Robert Spears Jennings

R Mason Thomas becoming Oklahoma Sooners closer

Oklahoma has benefitted from the late-game play of R Mason Thomas in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners nearly had the game slip away from them on Saturday against Auburn, but there wasn’t just one player who helped OU storm back to take the lead and hold off the Tigers.

Quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins Jr.[/autotag] shined in his first career start, providing the Sooners with enough big plays to get the win.

Linebacker [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] made a play of the year candidate, intercepting a pass and returning it for 63 yards to give OU a lead it didn’t relinquish.

Safety [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] had a pivotal sack that pushed Auburn’s offense back once the Sooners took the six-point lead.

But it was defensive end [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] who came up huge on back-to-back plays when the Sooners led by just three.

With the Tigers facing a third-and-5 at their 44-yard line with two minutes left, Thomas came around the edge and sacked Payton Thorne for a 6-yard loss. Head coach Hugh Freeze decided to roll the dice and try to pick up a fourth-and-11 and extend the drive.

Yet again, Thomas dealt a crushing blow to Auburn’s hopes. He chased Thorne all the way back to the Auburn 25, sacking the quarterback after it looked like Thorne might escape the pressure.

The two massive plays allowed OU to kick a field goal after Freeze was forced to burn his timeouts. Backup kicker [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] drilled the ball through the uprights, and the Sooners held a six-point lead. The Tigers ran just five more plays, completing a Hail Mary well short of the end zone.

Thomas, who has become the best pass rusher on this team, stopped any momentum Auburn had, preventing the Tigers from getting anywhere close to field goal range. He had a similar performance a few weeks ago in OU’s win over Tulane, taking over in the late stages of that game when the Green Wave were trying to mount a comeback.

Oklahoma’s pass rush hasn’t gotten home very often this year. The Sooners have relied more on their run defense and sending extra defenders when it was time to get after the passer. Twice now, Thomas has risen to the occasion when the opponent had a chance to drive for a score at the end of the game.

The Sooners entered the season needing a “closer” to emerge from their defensive line. After five games, they may have found just that in Thomas.

OU’s R Mason Thomas took over in game’s biggest moments

R Mason Thomas erupted in the fourth quarter to help secure the win for the Oklahoma Sooners.

It was January of 2022, just before [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ first national signing day as Oklahoma’s head coach. The Sooners’ staff scrambled to recover the remnants of a 2022 recruiting class that had fallen apart in the wake of [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag]’s departure.

When the dust settled, the Sooners came away with the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. The group included key homegrown defensive backs like [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and Gentry Williams, a trio of linebackers that have become integral for the Sooners defense, and offensive linemen like Joshua Bates and Jacob Sexton, who were key in yesterday’s win over Tulane.

One of the more intriguing additions to that class was initially headed to Iowa State to play for Matt Campbell. But Miguel Chavis and Brent Venables worked their magic and flipped a talented, fast, and athletic edge rusher to come to Norman.

That was [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag].

Thomas played sparingly in his first two seasons with the Sooners, battling injuries that kept his developmental trajectory from taking off. But the Sooners coaching staff knew what they had him.

And on Saturday against Tulane, the potential that we’d seen over the last two seasons may have fully realized itself.

After an interception by Billy Bowman gave the Sooners great field position, Jackson Arnold ran it in from 24 yards out to give the Sooners a 12 point lead with 6:05 remaining in the game. Plenty of time for the Tulane offense to put together a late push.

But on the Green Wave’s ensuing drive, R Mason Thomas took over.

On first and 10, R Mason burst off the left edge of the defense and brought down Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah for his first sack of the game. Two plays later, the Green Wave were attempting to set up a wide receiver screen to create a more manageable fourth down attempt. Thomas felt the screen being set up and when Mensah went to throw, Thomas jumped up to knock down the pass, setting up a 4th and 13. On the next play, he came off the right side of the defense, first working upfield before countering the offensive tackle and beating him inside for his second sack of the day.

That forced the turnover on downs and Oklahoma kicked a field goal. Down 15 and needing to throw, the Sooners’ pass rusher kept the heat on.

Tulane picked up a first down. But Adepoju Adebawore drew a pivotal holding call to make it first and 20 with 1:53 remaining. Feeling the pressure, Mensah scrambled and picked up six yards. And on the next play, R Mason Thomas moved back to the left side, beat his man and hit Mensah, forcing the fumble and had the awareness to scoop the ball up and begin to take it the other way.

Social media exploded with Thomas’ breakout performance.

It was a monster way to finish the day for a guy who had been getting pressure for much of the game. Big players come through in big moments, and R Mason Thomas was unblockable in the final stages of the game.

Pro Football Focus credited him with five total pressures and the highest grade for any Sooners defender. His strip-sack also ensured that the Sooners won the turnover battle for the third game in a row, but more importantly, sealed the deal for Oklahoma.

It has to be a huge confidence boost for Mason and the Sooners are going to need more from him as SEC play begins. Oklahoma will get Tennessee’s explosive offense next week and getting pressure on former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be paramount.

Could this be the breakout game the Sooners needed to unlock their pass rush moving forward? R Mason Thomas and the Sooners defensive line faces their toughest test of the season next Saturday night.

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Oklahoma Sooners captains for week three vs. Tulane

Oklahoma Sooners captains for week three against Tulane Green Wave

The Oklahoma Sooners have spent the week getting ready to take on the Tulane Green Wave in week three of the 2024 college football season.

After a 48-point victory over Temple in week one, the Sooners struggled in a four-point win over Houston in week two. As OU inches closer to [autotag]SEC[/autotag] play, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ team needs to show marked improvement on Saturday, especially on offense.

The team has announced the five game captains for this week’s matchup with the Green Wave. Representing the offense are running back [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Jacob Sexton[/autotag]. Representing the defense, OU has defensive lineman [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and defensive back [autotag]Robert Spears Jennings[/autotag].

Sawchuk has served as Oklahoma’s starting running back since the final third of last season. After a breakout last five games of 2023, he’s struggled so far in 2024, but there’s still time for him to find his rhythm.

Sexton is one of OU’s only healthy starting offensive linemen, as has been solid no matter where the coaching staff has him lined up. Capable of playing guard or tackle, he’s grown into one of the better players up front on an offensive unit that needs him to continue to lead this week.

Thomas has become a starter at defensive end this season, finally getting to show off his skills as a push rusher after dealing with injuries to begin his Sooners’ career. He’s been a reliable bookend up front on the OU defense early this season.

McKinzie is part of Oklahoma’s rotation at inside linebacker and is growing better and better with the more reps he gets on the defense. The Sooners are deep in the middle of their defense, but McKinzie’s presence has a hard hitter and run stopper have been felt, as OU has been good against the run so far in 2024.

Spears-Jennings is one of OU’s three excellent players at the safety position, also serving as the run stopper and enforcer of the group. He’s had an excellent start to 2024 with a forced fumble and an interception and is Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded safety in college football heading into week three.

The Green Wave will be ready to play against the Sooners, led by new head coach Jon Sumrall, formerly of Troy. Tulane is gunning for the Group of Five’s automatic bid into the new expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, and can make a major statement with a road win over No. 15 Oklahoma.

The Sooners will have to be on their toes and ready to take the win, as opposed to letting it come to them. These five players are the group that the coaching staff has decided are best suited to lead the way as captains this week.

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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

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3 Stars from Oklahoma’s 51-3 win over the Temple Owls

The Oklahoma Sooners got off to a great start in their 51-3 win over the Temple Owls, and here are this week’s three stars.

The Oklahoma Sooners opened the season with a 51-3 win over the Temple Owls on Friday night. It wasn’t a perfect performance, but there were a great many positives to take away from the win.

But on both sides of the ball, there were impact players, so let’s take a look at this week’s three stars of the game.

Third Star: Jackson Arnold, QB

Seth Littrell and the Oklahoma Sooners didn’t ask [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to do too much in this game, but he was effective with what he was asked to do. The first throw of the game was fantastic, a deep strike to Jalil Farooq for 47 yards.

Arnold attempted just two passes beyond 20 yards, which will not indicate his passing chart week-to-week. One was the reception by Farooq and the other was a beautiful deep ball down the sideline to a covered J.J. Hester who let the ball go through his hands.

Behind a patchwork offensive line, Arnold made good decisions, got the ball out quickly and tried to make things happen with his legs when it wasn’t there for him through the air.

Accounting for drops and throwaways, Arnold’s adjusted completion percentage was 83.3% on the evening and finished with an NFL passer rating of 121.8. A strong start to the season for the former five-star quarterback.

Second Star: Deion Burks, WR

Deion Burks was as advertised in the Sooners’ win, catching three touchdowns in the first half, which is the most ever by a player in their Oklahoma debut.

As was the case for the offense, the Sooners didn’t unveil all of the ways in which they’ll utilize Burks, but he was efficient and effective on his targets. He had six catches on seven targets for 36 yards and three touchdowns. He also took three sweeps for 14 yards, showing off his speed.

Burks displayed really good route running, creating separation in the red zone for his scores.

With the wide receiver depth chart taking a hit due to Farooq’s injury, the Sooners will need Burks to have a big season and he’s off to a great start.

Up Next: First Star of the Game

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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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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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Oklahoma Sooners boast number of difference-makers at safety

The Oklahoma Sooners boast a deep number of safeties that will be difference makers for the OU defense.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was one of the best defensive players in the nation in 2023. His six interceptions and three interceptions returned for a touchdown put him on the map in Oklahoma’s final year in the Big 12. In year one in the SEC, Bowman, along with fellow defender Danny Stutsman, earned first-team All-SEC honors from SEC media.

All-American and Thorpe voters may have been unaware of Bowman’s excellence at safety, but he made everyone take notice and will be on every watch list possible when the preseason lists get released starting this week.

But Bowman isn’t the end all be all for Oklahoma at the safety spot. They’ve got as deep and talented group as there is in the nation. The senior certainly leads the way, but Oklahoma has talent up and down the depth chart.

[autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], a former four-star prospect from Broken Arrow has made the most of his opportunities and has been a terror around the line of scrimmage. Despite playing 178 fewer snaps than [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], Spears-Jennings had eight more total tackles last season. He played 158 fewer snaps than [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and finished with just six fewer total tackles than the now Ole Miss safety.

Spears-Jennings finished with a higher defensive grade from Pro Football Focus than both Pearson and Lawrence. With Pearson and Lawrence gone, there’s a huge opportunity for Spears-Jennings to take over in a strong safety or box safety role.

[autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] has a huge opportunity for an increased workload, as well.

In limited opportunities, Bowen flashed his potential for the Sooners, finishing second on the team in passes defended with five. He was fourth among Sooners safeties in snaps behind Bowman, Pearson, and Lawrence. As a true freshman.

Venables, now Alley’s, defense likes to deploy three safety looks, so there’s a good chance we see packages that include Bowman, Spears-Jennings, and Bowen all at the same time. It’s a fast, athletic, and playmaking group in the Sooners secondary.

Oklahoma also has guys like [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who will play a variety of roles on the Sooners defense. Washington will line up at cornerback and Dolby at cheetah, but you could see them rotating in at safety. The depth chart has a number of young players at the position who be impactful for the Sooners in 2024 and beyond. [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] could have an impact this year as well. It’s a strong, fast, and physical group that will make a lot of plays on ball carriers and on the ball in the air.

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