Former Sooners' stud hoping to be drafted showed everyone why he has the best intangible asset at his position in the draft class
The Oklahoma Sooners in 2024, despite being a bad team overall, losing their bowl game to Navy, had some really, really good players on the defense. Of course, for the most part, the defense was headlined by Danny Stutsman and R Mason Thomas. And, while those two were elite, and are elite, a guy was […]
The Oklahoma Sooners in 2024, despite being a bad team overall, losing their bowl game to Navy, had some really, really good players on the defense. Of course, for the most part, the defense was headlined by Danny Stutsman and R Mason Thomas.
And, while those two were elite, and are elite, a guy was dominating in the shadows last season, and years before that, despite not getting quite the attention he deserves. Billy Bowman, the safety who had six interceptions in 2023, with a few returned for touchdowns, had a "down year" in 2024. But really, the offense put the defense in so many bad situations, and Nowman just wasn't put in great situations that allowed him to be a flashy player.
It doesn't mean he was bad.
Bowman has had a strong career for the Oklahoma Sooners, becoming one of their top players in the last four or five years. From Denton, Texas, he joined OU with high expectations and quickly made an impact.
As a freshman in 2021, Bowman played in 11 games, mostly on special teams, and showed his potential. His breakout came in 2022 as a sophomore, when he started at safety and led the team with three interceptions, including a 45-yard pick-six against Texas Tech. In 2023, he switched to the "cheetah" hybrid position and took off, which is when he turned it up a notch as a ball hawk, setting an OU single-season record for interceptions and pick sixes.. His 238 return yards that year also set a program mark.
Bowman’s speed, instincts, and playmaking ability have made him a key part of OU’s defense as they transition to the SEC. By March 2025, heading into his senior year, he’s racked up 11 career interceptions and earned All-Big 12 honors. A team captain and Jim Thorpe Award contender, he’s poised to leave a lasting legacy at OU before likely heading to the NFL.
At his NFL Combine day, he showed scouts, and everyone his skillset and physical tools. He also showed off the one thing that separates him — hos mindset, an intangible you really can't teach.
"I want to suffocate offenses," Bowman said. "Offense is easy to play. You know your play. You know where the ball is going. All you got to do is get the ball, make somebody miss. Defense, it brings so much more of a challenge. So it's so much more fun. But my goal is just to suffocate offenses. I don't want to give them nothing. I want to hold them to zero to 3. When the ball is in the air, it's mine. If they hand the ball off, I want to rally to the ball as quick as possible. My mentality is suffocation."
That's cold and dark, which is exactly what you want out of a defensive back. Bowman isn't going to be an insanely high draft pick, but he deserves to be. Whoever takes him on Day 2 or Day 3, is going to get a steal.
2026 4-star running back committed to Oklahoma Sooners just got a very enticing offer from SEC foe
That would be a crazy flip.
