Oklahoma's defense is expected to be the strength of the team in the Sooners' first year in the SEC.
That side of the ball is loaded with talent and experience at all three levels, but perhaps none more than in the secondary — and according to Pro Football Focus, OU heads into the fall with one of the nation's top secondaries. The Sooners' defensive backfield checked in at No. 9 on PFF's preseason ranking of top secondary units in college football for the 2024 season.
It's the second position group to land on PFF's preseason positional rankings this summer, joining Oklahoma's wide receiver corps.
The Sooners' secondary, according to PFF, is projected to be the third best among SEC teams this fall, ranking behind only Texas (No. 6 on the list) and Georgia (No. 7). The top-10 list was headlined by Ohio State, followed by Iowa, Notre Dame, Michigan and Oregon. Wisconsin checked in at No. 8, just ahead of Oklahoma, while Arizona rounded out the top 10.
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Here's what the PFF breakdown had to say about the Sooners' secondary:
"Of the 10 defensive backs who played at least 300 snaps for Oklahoma in 2023, eight are returning for 2024.
"The Sooners are loaded at safety, and the star of that unit is Billy Bowman Jr., whose six interceptions last year tied for the third most among all defenders in college football. Dasan McCullough is a hybrid safety/linebacker for Oklahoma and ranked sixth among Power Five safeties with an 88.2 coverage grade this past season (minimum 275 snaps). Peyton Bowen was a five-star recruit in the 2023 class and earned an impressive 68.0 grade on 363 snaps in his true freshman campaign."
Of course, the group is bolstered by the return of Billy Bowman Jr., who started all 13 games at safety and played the second-most snaps among all OU defenders (781) while finishing the season with 63 tackles, including three tackles for loss, as well as four pass breakups and six interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns. Bowman's six interceptions ranked behind only the seven each by Wisconsin cornerback Ricardo Hallman and Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts, while Bowman's three pick-sixes led all FBS players. He was an All-Big 12 selection last season and recently landed on Phil Steele's preseason All-SEC first team.
Along with returning Bowman, the Sooners also bring back starting cornerbacks Woodi Washington and Gentry Williams. Washington led all OU defenders with 851 snaps played last season and had a team-leading seven pass breakups. Williams started all 10 games in which he appeared and finished second on the team with three interceptions while giving up just one touchdown in coverage last season.
Though Oklahoma is replacing a pair of experienced safeties in Reggie Pearson Jr. and Key Lawrence, it also returns the aforementioned Peyton Bowen, who was impressive during his true freshman season and at times flashed his five-star skillset while adapting to multiple roles in the secondary. Robert Spears-Jennings, who appeared in 12 games and made two starts at safety, also returns to round out a trio of experienced safeties for the Sooners.
At corner, behind Washington and Williams, OU brings back Kani Walker, who played 428 snaps across 10 appearances and had one interception along with four pass breakups. He held opposing quarterbacks to a 51.5% completion rate, giving up just 17 receptions on 33 targets in coverage. The Sooners also brought in San Diego State transfer cornerback Dez Malone to add more experience to a group that also features sophom*ores Makari Vickers and Jacobe Johnson.
At Cheetah, there's Dasan McCullough, who as noted had the sixth-best coverage grade among Power Five safeties who played a minimum of 275 snaps last fall, as well as Kendel Dolby, who started the year at corner before settling in at Cheetah. Dolby, a former JUCO prospect, had two interceptions, four pass breakups and did not allow a touchdown in coverage last season.
That returning production is reason enough to believe Oklahoma could have one of the better secondaries in the SEC and college football this fall, but OU also bolstered its depth in the defensive backfield with the 2024 recruiting class. The Sooners added an influx of freshman talent to the secondary by bringing in four-star defensive backs Reggie Powers III, Jaydan Hardy, Michael Boganowski, Jeremiah Newcombe and Devon Jordan, as well as three-star cornerback Eli Bowen and three-star safety Mykel Patterson-McDonald.
