Prior to Brent Venables' arrival in Norman in the winter of 2021, Oklahoma's brand of football had become rather stale on the defensive side of the ball.

Sure, there were outliers that had come through the program, but the once-revered and feared "Oklahoma defense" had become a unit that was holding its tradition-rich brand from getting back to the mountaintop of college football.

However, in 2023, the narrative around the OU defense changed. The Sooners rank inside the top 15 nationally in several defensive statistics, including second in turnovers forced, second in interceptions, 11th in tackles for loss, and 12th in defensive efficiency.

Sure, a lot of that has to do with Venables, who has been the best defensive mind in football for the better half of the last two decades, but it also has plenty to do with some standout defenders on the field.

Two of those players are junior safety Billy Bowman and junior linebacker Danny Stutsman, both of whom were selected First Team All-Big 12 at the conclusion of the regular season.

Now, both can add another accolade to the belt for the 2023 campaign, as both were named to the 2023 CBS Sports' All-America Team.

Bowman was a first-team selection after leading the Big 12 with six interceptions (second nationally) and leads the country with three interceptions returned for touchdowns, including just the third 100-yard pick-six in Oklahoma history. Bowman ranks second on the team with 61 tackles and has four pass breakups and 3.0 TFLs on the year.

Meanwhile, Stutsman was named a second-team selection by CBS after leading the Sooners with 99 tackles on the year, ranking second in the Big 12 despite missing 1.5 games due to injury. He ranks second in the league in tackles for loss (16.0) and is second on the team in sacks (3.0), adding one interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, two pass breakups, and a QB hurry.

Both Bowman and Stutsman are eligible to leave for the NFL Draft this season, but getting the duo to return for the Sooners' first year in the SEC would be a major boost for a defense that still has plenty to prove in Venables' third year at the helm.