Young budding star for Oklahoma Sooners secondary could surprise fans this season with new expanded role
A young rising defensive back could be a major contributor for the Sooners earlier than expected
The Oklahoma Sooners have completely revamped their secondary under Brent Venables, turning what was once a position of weakness into one of their most intriguing and talented units on the team. Thanks to better recruiting and coaching, Oklahoma’s secondary boasts some unique talents that are primed to help the Sooners right the ship moving forward.
One of their youngest players in the secondary could be a major key in doing just that this season. Sophomore safety Reggie Powers III has taken major strides throughout the offseason, and as fall camp opened up, he’s taken several reps working with the first team in camp.
The surprising part of this, however, has been his ability to split time between working as the “strong safety” and Cheetah.
The other safety position next to Robert Spears-Jennings is an open battle, even though it feels like the job is Peyton Bowen’s to lose right now. However, having reliable depth and rotational ability here makes the Sooners’ defense that much better. Bowen occupied that third safety role last season behind Spears-Jennings and Billy Bowman. Now, that battle is between Powers, Jaydan Hardy, and Michael Boganowski.
The more interesting part of this is his work at Cheetah. This was initially believed to be a battle between just Kendel Dolby and Kendal Daniels, but with Venables’ announcing yesterday that Dolby would move to spend more time with the cornerbacks this season, it seems like the focus is shifting now to Daniels and Powers.
There are plenty of intriguing possibilities here between Daniels and Powers. Based on their skill sets, it seems likely that the two will rotate based on the situation, with Powers being more of the passing downs Cheetah.
Powers taking that crucial step forward in his development will be a major boon for the Sooners’ defense, as it enhances their depth and versatility. The more Oklahoma can throw at opposing offenses, the better, especially in a conference as deep as the SEC. While Powers won’t be the only one who will be a major contributor, it’s an encouraging sign to see this coaching staff trust him with such a role this early in his career.
