Pair of Oklahoma Sooners defenders show off impressive versatility to unlock entirely new element to Oklahoma’s defense
The Oklahoma Sooners enjoyed a tremendous showing in Week 1from one of their strongest position rooms
For the last several years, the safety position has been one that has drawn plenty of criticism for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have rarely had standout players here, with only two players drafted from that position since 2012 (Delarrin Turner-Yell and Billy Bowman).
Yet, the position has gotten better and better under Brent Venables and position coach Brandon Hall, and they finally seem to have strong depth at a position that has been weak for so long. No game has shown that more than their strong opening performance against Illinois State last night.
Peyton Bowen and Reggie Powers Play Lights Out
Last season, former five-star Peyton Bowen struggled while battling an injury after a strong performance as a freshman in 2023. In the Sooners’ opener, he looked like he had regained his former form. Bowen allowed just one catch for three yards, recording a defensive stop, and didn’t miss a single tackle.
Fellow teammate Reggie Powers III frequently rotated with Bowen in the lineup, and he had an equally strong performance. He allowed just one catch for zero yards on two targets and recorded two defensive stops, also not missing a single tackle.
The Oklahoma coaching staff has frequently discussed the idea of figuring out how to feature both Bowen and Powers on the field at the same time, and I think they might have caught a glimpse of that in their opening matchup.
Bowen and Powers both rotated around with each other at strong safety and at Cheetah (a hybrid slot/safety/linebacker role), and both saw action on the field together several snaps. This kind of interchangeable versatility is a unique twist the Sooners can throw at opponents to keep them off balance and switch around based on matchups.
According to Pro Football Focus, Powers lined up at ten different alignments throughout the course of the Sooners’ season opener. Bowen wasn’t about to be undone and aligned at seven different spots for the Sooners’ defense. This doesn’t mean they played a different position, rather, it means they were each deployed all across the formation and played at an equal level no matter where they lined up.
That kind of ability gives Oklahoma and Brent Venables plenty of reassurance about the ability of their talented duo to handle a strong workload and a variety of responsibilities, which can completely open up the playbook.
This doesn’t even mention team captain and star safety Robert Spears-Jennings, as well as players like Michael Boganowski, Jaydan Hardy, and Omarion Robinson, all of whom saw action against Illinois State and played well.
After years of inconsistent or poor play from this room, this Week 1 film was easily the most enjoyable I’ve studied from Oklahoma’s safety group in quite some time. While the opponent wasn’t nearly as quality, this game was just as strong a performance as the room had against Texas back in 2023.
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